Fated Memories (41 page)

The problem lay in the fact they lived in Montana, where the cattlemen and other ranchers could not forget the losses they suffered at the hands of the Blackfeet. She had to admit another stunning fact, too. Before Two Spirits entered her life, she thought the Blackfeet to be dirty scavengers who didn’t believe in God until the missionaries came to teach them about His holy word.

But they didn’t know the Two Spirits she knew; the man devout in his beliefs. When Two Spirits spoke of The Holy Spirit, he talked about God. It’s just that his people worshipped God in a different way than the white man. Had the missionaries, who had come to teach a heathen race about the holy word, listened, they would have seen this unarguable fact for themselves. They thought their way had to be the right way and in so doing, missed the fact the Blackfeet stood closer to God then they ever did. She knew this, but no one else of her family had any insight into the goodness of the Blackfeet People.

“
How sad for them.”

The retribution her father would exact from her filled her heart once more. He would come for her; of this she had no doubt. If not him then he would send someone. When that happened, she and Two Spirits had to be far away where no one could find them. If not, she would be forced to leave. To never again see the man she loved.

“
I have good news, little one,” Two Spirits interrupted her thoughts, “the snow is beginning to slow. We should be able to leave by sunup tomorrow.”

She sat up. “How long will it take us to get to Canada?”

“
The deep snow will make our trip take much longer, but I would say we can be in Canada within the week.”

“
Two Spirits, then everything’s gonna work out just like we planned!” she squealed, covering his cold face with kisses.

“
I told you not to worry, Jessie.” He dropped the wood he had been holding to the floor to pull her into his arms. “We will have a good and long life together. We will raise our daughter in a safe land away from the anger and biased feelings of the ones here.”

“
I love you so much!”

Pulling her slim body close, he murmured into her soft dark hair. “And I love you, my woman. No one will tear us apart. I will always be here to protect you and our child.”

“
I know you will, Two Spirits. I know you will.” She hugged him tight. “I’ll learn to live the life of an Indian woman, makin’ you proud of me.”

“
And when the time comes for you to give birth to our child,” he ventured, “you will allow me to be near?”

“
If that’s what you want, then I’ll make myself accept the wishes of my husband. For that’s what you’ll be in my eyes.”

“
In my eyes too, Jessie. I am sure after we get to the motherland, we will be able to find someone among my people to marry us. The Blackfeet have many relatives among the Canadian people. We will be all right. Trust in me, Jessie, and I will make your life one of complete joy.” His heart sang with the happiness he felt right at that moment.

“
As long as we’re together, Two Spirits, I’ll never ask for anything more.”

“
We will be happy in our new life, my woman. You will fill our lodge with the laughter of many children. Before long, we will forget these unhappy days when we had to flee for our lives in the midst of a raging blizzard.” Two Spirits swung her into his arms, eliciting squeals of laughter from her.

Then the words of Pehta came to him, freezing the happy feelings into those of abject terror. ‘The daughter of Eathen Thornton can not stay where everyone will know she carries the child of an Indian. She will be sent far away.’

You are a very wise man, Pehta, but this time you are wrong.

From somewhere nearby a wolf howled, his lonely cry echoing throughout the dark night. His cry sounding almost like a warning.

***

The trip had been long and hard, but at last they reached Canada. No longer under the watchful eye of the United States Government, they felt some of the burden of being pursued lift from their young shoulders.

“
We did it, Jessie! Now we are free.” Two Spirits laughed, throwing a long leg over his saddle to drop to the ground.

“
I can’t believe we’re here!” Jessie squealed, her voice filled with happiness. “I thought sure someone would come after us.”

“
I told you everything would be all right. We still have a ways to go before we find Yellow Owl’s camp, but with the directions Pehta gave me, it won’t be hard to find.” He breathed the cool winds into his lungs.

“
Are you sure he’ll allow us to stay there? If he finds out we’re runnin’ from my father, he may not want us.”

“
Your father can not touch us here, Jessie. Yellow Owl and his people do not live on reservations. They are a free people. We will be safe here.”

With a teasing grin, she gazed down at him. “Then let’s go! The sooner we get there, the sooner I’ll believe it!”

“
We will make camp just before sundown.” He grabbed hold of the saddle horn to pull himself onto his horse’s back. “Tomorrow we should be in Yellow Owl’s camp.”

“
This will be a whole new way of life for me, Two Spirits.” She gazed over at him. “But it’s the only life I want.”

“
We’re together, Jessie. Now our daughter will grow up free and happy in a land where she will be safe.”

“
We have it all. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

For a brief moment, sadness covered his face, before he looked away.

“
Two Spirits, what is it?”

“
My thoughts traveled to my mother and little sister. I wish they could find freedom, also.”

“
Why can’t they? After we’re here for a while, we’ll find some way to send for them.”

“
You would not mind having my mother and sister nearby?”

Laughing at the seriousness in his face, she replied. “Two Spirits, I need all the help I can get! Who better to teach me than your mother?”

“
I love you, Jessie!” Two Spirits pulled her close.

“
I love you too, but if you pull me off this horse, we’ll never reach our destination.”

“
Then let’s go!” he laughed, kneeing his horse into an all out run with the sounds of Jessie’s laughter echoing beside him.

When they rode into Yellow Owl’s camp the next day, Jessie noted the astonished looks on the people’s faces. All around her she heard the whispering voices of those who watched her riding beside one of their own.

In front of a lodge, Two Spirits reined in his horse. “Wait here, Jessie,” he dismounted. “I won’t be long.”

As she sat her horse, Two Spirits called out in his own language. Within moments, a tall middle-aged man walked out of his lodge to meet them. She could feel his black eyes watching her as Two Spirits explained the reason for their being there. Nodding, Yellow Owl walked over to stand beside Jessie’s horse. Then holding out his hand, he helped her to dismount. When she stood beside him, he smiled.

“
My name is Yellow Owl. Two Spirits tells me you are running away from your father.”

“
I am Jessie Thornton.” She held out her hand to him. And yes, what Two Spirits says is true.” Her stomach did flip-flops as she looked at him. She guessed his age to be in his early to middle fifties. He wore his hair braided with leather strips to keep the braids from coming undone. No headband adorned his forehead. He stood about six-feet tall and had a large build. His face wore sun-lines with smaller lines edging the corners of his deep-set, black eyes. Jessie guessed they were laugh lines. He could not be considered a handsome man, but neither could he be considered ugly, and when he smiled, his face lit up, giving him a trusting appearance. For some reason, the fact that he dressed in a shirt of large blue plaid and faded jeans, instead of buckskin, made her feel more at ease in his presence.

“
What will you do if he comes here to take you back?”

“
He don’t know where we are. I can understand your reluctance to have us here, Yellow Owl.” She wanted to be honest with him. “My father’s Eathen Thornton, a very powerful man in Montana. He can cause you and your people a lotta trouble.”

“
I have heard of Eathen Thornton. And yes, you are right. He can cause us a lot of trouble. But I am glad to see you do not try to hide the danger for us in your eagerness to escape his anger.”

“
I want you to know what you’re gettin’ into if you allow us to stay here.”

“
Pehta is a close friend of mine. If he sent you, then you will be safe for awhile. But for your own safety, I would not stay here too long. It will not be hard to guess where a man seeking to flee from the Browning Agency would go.”

“
We won’t forget your kindness, Yellow Owl.” She touched his arm.

A slight smile touched his mouth as he lifted the lodge flap and motioned them inside.

When they had seated themselves on one of the couches made up of numerous deer and bear skins, she reached out for Two Spirits’ hand to give it a tight squeeze.

Leaning close, he whispered, “We are safe, Jessie. No one can harm us now.”

Watching the two young people as they comforted each other, Yellow Owl tried not to think about all the trouble their being there could bring down on his people. The white girl looked fragile. How could she hope to survive a life filled with hard work, day in and day out? Did she know what would be expected of her as the wife of Two Spirits? Perhaps it would be better for all concerned if her father did come for her.

“
You have braved much to be together and, although the United States Government cannot touch you here, I fear Eathen Thornton is another matter.” Yellow Owl watched them for their reaction.

“
I’m hopin’ my father’ll leave us in peace when he learns we’re married,” Jessie spoke up.

“
It would seem you have both given this much thought. But I do not think the man I have heard so much about would accept an Indian ceremony. If you hope to satisfy him, you must go to the white priest who lives close by.”

“
I’m not Catholic,” Jessie said, hoping that information would be enough to gain them a Blackfeet ceremony.

“
Neither are the Blackfeet,” he replied, noting her disappointment. “But each time a couple is joined by our holy man, the white priest asks if he may perform another ceremony for the sake of their souls. Sometimes we let him. Most times we don’t. This time we will.” His smile broadened.

“
Your idea makes sense, Yellow Owl. But if the priest knows about us, then word’d get back to my father where we are, and he’d come after me. No, I think the best thing for us is to get married by your holy man.”

“
Jessie, I think Yellow Owl’s idea for us to get married by the white priest is what we should do. After we are married in a white church, your father can’t force you to return with him,” he told her, his voice filled with conviction.

“
No! That’s not what I wanna do! We’ll be married here!” She left the couch. “I’ll send word that we’re married, and that’ll be the end of it. I don’t want my father comin’ here!”

“
What are you ashamed of, Jessie?” He rose to stand before her.

“
I’m not ashamed of anything.” Jessie looked away from him.

“
I thought this is what you wanted. To be my wife and live the life of an Indian woman.” He turned her around to face him. “The way you are behaving tells me you are ashamed to be seen living as my wife.”

“
Don’t you see?” She looked from one to the other, trying to make them understand why she felt such unease. “If my father came here and saw me livin’ like this,” she looked around her, “he would not hesitate to take me back home!”

“
That house where your mother gave birth to you is no longer your home, Jessie! This is your home now! Here! In an Indian village,” he growled, jerking her to him and shaking her. “With me as your husband!”

The stark fear covering the young girl’s facen and the violence in the man’s eyes as he stood glaring at her, brought Yellow Owl to his feet to step between them.

“
I think it is time for you to get away from one another for a moment. I know she is your woman, Two Spirits, but this is my lodge. Your horses need tending. I think now would be a good time for you to take care of them.” His deep voice left no room for argument.

In anger, Two Spirits dropped his hands from Jessie’s shoulders. “You have shamed me.” He turned, leaving her alone with Yellow Owl.

“
I’ve never seen him act this way.” She rubbed her aching shoulders. “He’s always been so gentle with me.”

“
Your words told him how you feel about living here. He saw the distaste for his way of life mirrored in your eyes.”

“
No, Yellow Owl, I tried to tell him how my father’d view my livin’ here.”

“
Are you sure it is just your father who would see this lodge as beneath you? As the daughter of Eathen Thornton, you have lived an easy life. That would not be so here.” Yellow Owl led her over to his couch. “As the wife of Two Spirits, you would have to work very hard. No one here will do your work for you.” He seated himself then turned to face her. “When the time comes for you to give him sons, you will have to be brave, for there is no white doctor willing to come here to help you.” His watchful gaze detected fear in the blue eyes staring back at him. “I tell you these things so you can be sure in your heart this is what you want before you take Two Spirits for your husband.”