Phoebe had asked Cole to hand over his wedding band to her. She had given him her wedding band in exchange. In doing so they both could present the other with the ring at the wedding ceremony.
Phoebe had prepared her own wedding band and needed to do the same with Cole's.
By chance Phoebe had found out that something was wrong with her wedding band. She hadn't worn it in all those years for some good reason. Every time she had secretly slid it on her hand, at nights when she had missed Cole the most, she had had a foreboding. Not a real premonition where she could see something but dark shadows moving who meant ill. That had freaked her out and she had taken the wedding band to church with her one day. She had given it a try and had let it fall into the basin with holy water. The reaction had startled her. The basin had sizzled and steamed until all the water was gone. She had tried another basin, but this time nothing had happened. To be on the safe side she had a priest bless it for her too.
To not raise any suspicions she had told Cole that she wanted to confess her sins to a priest before their wedding. Cole couldn't disapprove of that. She would take his wedding band with her and have it blessed like her own.
Phoebe and Cole had debated about the kind of ceremony should take place. A white wedding with church and priest was out of question for Cole. Not even Phoebe was able to talk him into that, even when she had tried hard using all her female persuasion.
Cole's suggestion of going to Las Vegas had detested Phoebe. They had pondered the idea of a wican hand fastening, like Piper and Leo had done. But Cole wasn't thrilled to go through with a wican ceremony. He wasn't sure what that would do to his powers. Besides they would need a high priestess for it and Phoebe wasn't eager to inform her family, let alone Grams about it.
In the end Phoebe had come up with the idea of a Native American wedding ritual comparable with a hand fastening, but no wican background. Some years ago she had helped a Native American woman with some magical problem. Since then she had stayed in contact with the medicine woman called Inra, exchanging knowledge about magical stuff.
Phoebe had suggested to Cole that she call Inra and ask her if she could conduct the ritual for them. Cole hadn't objected to it so Phoebe called Inra right away.
Inra had been thrilled that Phoebe wanted to do a Native American Wedding. She immediately suggested that she ask the council of tribe elders, who had to allow for strangers to be married in their sacred way. Phoebe had been running up and down the suite agitatedly until Inra had called back some hours later to inform Phoebe that it was going ok. The tribe could be ready in three days to conduct the ceremony, and Phoebe and Cole should arrive there the afternoon before. Inra also told them that their taboos demanded that Phoebe and Cole stayed celibate from this moment until they were married. Normally every couple would have to go through 28 days – one full cycle of the moon - without seeing each other in any way. Phoebe had emphasized the urgency of the matter and so the elder's council had allowed for a shortened period. Cole hadn't been amused.
On the agreed day Cole flamed them to the nearest airport next to the reservation. He asked her about her appearance, and what her friend would say, seeing her 20 years younger. Phoebe didn't want to give up her juvenile looks. She was sure that Inra was ok with it, she would tell her it was a misguided spell that made her look like that. After all Inra was well aware that Phoebe was a witch.
Inra picked them up at the airport. She was a tall slender woman in her 40ies. Long straight raven black hair fell openly down her shoulders and she had the typically bronze skin complexion of her race. She moved smoothly and confidently attracting glances from the men around. She wore some blue jeans, cowboy boots and a light brown leather jacket over a white blouse. She had an open smile and twinkling dark brown eyes which searched the arrivals for her guests.
Phoebe recognized her immediately and headed in her direction, but Inra needed some seconds to get over her shock to meet a very young Phoebe. Then they greeted each other cheerfully. Phoebe introduced Cole to Inra as her fiancé. Phoebe then shortly told her secretly the story of a wrong gone spell, which Inra bought with raised eyebrows but without comment.
As they walked to the exit Inra eyed Phoebe's fiancé closely. He sure was a real hunk. Maybe that was the reason Phoebe had cast the spell, Inra speculated. A man like that wouldn't waste a second look at a woman in hers respectively Phoebe's age.
She wondered if Cole knew that Phoebe was a witch. And that led to the question if Cole knew how old Phoebe really was and what she really looked like. But this wasn't her concern. They all climbed into Inra's pick-up truck and she drove them to their camp.
They arrived at the camp in the afternoon. The whole tribe containing of around 30 people at the moment, was around to welcome their guests. Phoebe enjoyed a high social prestige with the tribe since she and her sisters had helped Inra out of a very hazardous magical situation. It only added to Phoebe's reputation that she appeared as her younger self. As it was common sense at the tribe, only a very powerful medicine woman would have the power to do such an enchantment. And as their code of conduct claimed it was not to be spoken about magical things in the open.
Phoebe greeted each tribe member personally and thanked the elder's council for their admission. The young women peeked at Cole and he flashed them his most charming smile. Hey, he was just the human finance of the great witch. He enjoyed the show and the pitiable humans who didn't have the faintest idea who was walking amongst them.
After they had finished the welcome Inra led them to her tepee. Since it was summer there was no fire burning inside but through the open at the top some light came in. An old man sat in the twilight inside, smoking a pipe. Inra introduced him as Akiketuk her father, member of the elder's council and also chief shaman of the tribe. He would be the one to explain the wedding ceremony to them.
He really looked weathered. Uncountable wrinkles spread over his face, with a hooked nose and sharp black eyes. His grey hair was in a braid and fell down to the floor. He wore a deer leather jacket, trousers and moccasins. Around his neck was a cord which held apparently his medicine bag. They shook hands and sat down on some blankets on the floor.
Akiketuk had experienced a strong magic presence the moment they entered his tepee. It made his hair stand on end. He knew that Phoebe was a witch, and of course his daughter was a very capable medicine woman, but there was something else. He looked at Cole enquiring.
His daughter hadn't told him anything about the witch's fiancé. He was sure Inra had told him, if she knew anything.
So he had to assume that he was human. The fiancé of the witch looked completely normal, at least at first sight. He wouldn't let go of it anyway. He had enough time in the upcoming cleansing ritual to examine this matter further.
Cole was oblivious to Akiketuk´s staring. He had made himself comfortable on the blanket and was only half listening to the explanations of the old man. The whole wedding was nothing but a joke to Cole. Please, to get married by some Natives, probably dance around a fire. He had to suppress a chuckle. At least their first wedding had some dark style. Phoebe really had strange wishes sometimes. But it was Phoebe and Phoebe got what she wanted, at least from him. She could always wrap him around her little finger if she liked to.
As Akiketuk went on to explain the wedding ceremony Cole was torn out of his musing.
"You are kidding, right?" Cole asked Akiketuk, "I'm not spending a whole night in a lousy tent without sleep waiting for dawn to come and then crawl up a mountain to marry on top of it- Please that's such a cliché." He shook is head vehemently "You have watched too many westerns."
"Cole", Phoebe called him to order irritated and slapped his hand, "We have decided to go through this ritual together. Inra's tribe was so generous to allow us to participate in it. Please honour that." She was very embarrassed by Cole's outburst and her cheeks were blushing.
Cole looked at Phoebe defiantly but didn't say anything again. He wasn't going down that road again – thank you very much. The scene in the restaurant two days before had been enough for him for some time.
Inra had to stifle her laughter at the look on Cole's face. It was obvious that this wedding ceremony had been Phoebe's idea and he was just playing along. Phoebe surely had this guy under her thumb. Actually Cole had made the impression on Inra, that he was a man who didn't like to be told what to do. So why was he acting so obediently towards Phoebe? Would Phoebe go that far to put him under a spell? Inra wasn't completely sure, Phoebe wouldn't do such a thing. She was a passionate and spontaneous woman. So if Phoebe had fallen head over heels for this man, who knew what she would do?
Regardless of their bickering Akiketuk carried on with his explanation. He was going to spend the night with Cole in the men's tepee while Inra would prepare Phoebe in the woman's tepee. The couple would be separated at dusk and be given together in matrimony at dawn. Akiketuk and Inra were to conduct the sacred rituals needed to prepare Phoebe and Cole for it.
Shortly after Inra led Phoebe towards the women's ceremonial tepee. Cole stayed with Akiketuk. He said nothing just sat there and glowered at the shaman.
tbc