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too.”
    “ The chief wants me to go
on a fast.”
    Since he hesitated to say more, she
asked, “When does he want you to go?”
    “ Today.”
    “ Today?” But they’d only
gotten married yesterday, and he spent most of the night away from
her. Even if she wasn’t sure what to say around him, she wanted to
be with him.
    “ Yes. He is determined I
leave today.” He paused. “I will return in a week.”
    Her countenance fell. An entire week?
How was she supposed to be away from him that long?
    “ I asked him if I could do
this at another time, but he said no. He wants me to seek a vision.
He thinks the spirits might reveal their will for our people. The
chief has proposed something that will likely upset some.” She
waited for him to explain what that something was and who it would
impact, but he didn’t. “I hope the spirits tell me what he wants
isn’t necessary. I’d like there to be another way to benefit our
people, if possible.”
    “ Then what the chief wants
is serious,” she softly said, wondering what it could be and then
wondering if she even wanted to know.
    “ Yes, it is.”
    She took a deep breath and looked at
her husband. She wasn’t sure, but she sensed that he was afraid of
what the chief wanted and that worried her. It was better to be
away from him for a week if he could receive a vision where he got
a better answer. “You have to go.”
    “ You aren’t
upset?”
    “ No. You need to do what
you can for the benefit of our people.”
    It seemed like he wanted to say
something, but then he closed his mouth and nodded. He continued
strolling down the path, so she went with him, content to remain in
silence. He’d be gone for a week. It wasn’t something she relished,
but she married him knowing his position required him to spend a
lot of time doing the chief’s bidding. And the chief wasn’t a man
to be denied.
    Besides, she had the rest of her life
to be with Citlali. She could give him up for one week, especially
since he loved her. Content, she turned her attention back
him.

Chapter Four

    Citlali sat outside his teepee. The
fire he built kept him warm despite the snow surrounding him. Out
here on the prairie, he was completely isolated from other people,
something he often sought…but not today. He didn’t mind the cold or
the fact that he hadn’t eaten in two days. The hunger pains had
long ago stopped bothering him. Fasting was a good way to obtain a
vision, but he didn’t think it would come right away.
    Closing his eyes, he listened to the
sound of the breeze rustling the tree branches. An animal’s
footsteps crunched the snow from several feet away. Clouds blocked
the sun, and he could smell the impending snow that would soon
fall. The temperature would drop, but he’d stay warm in the buffalo
blankets he had in his teepee.
    He sighed. He wished he’d be staying
warm with Onawa. He missed her, and he didn’t want to miss her as
much as he was. She was a part of him. She might have even been a
part of him before they got married, but she was much more so now
that they’d shared a bed together. Why getting married should
change things so much, he didn’t understand. It didn’t seem that
things should be that different since he’d only been with her one
night.
    He opened his eyes and stared into the
fire. He wanted more than one night with her. He wanted to take her
from the tribe and bring her here with him, but he’d never get a
vision that way. A vision required fasting and solitude. Besides,
if he thought about it, putting some distance between them was good
for their marriage. He didn’t want to be weak. Next time he was
with her intimately, he’d be able to restrain himself so he didn’t
appear so needy. He hadn’t been prepared for lovemaking their first
time together, but he would be in the future.
    She always smiled at him in a way that
made him feel as if he was the most important man in the world.
There was a certain amount of respect and pride in the