Man of Justice

Chapter Thirty Eight

Man of Justice knelt on the roof of the wigwam working to fix a few holes. He had quickly gotten used to his new Shoshone name. In fact, the name Jarrod seemed almost foreign. "Oh, come on," Raging River's Friend had stood on the ground trying to get his friend to leave his work and go on a "short hunting trip" with him and a few of the other young men only moments before. As much as he wanted to, Man of Justice could not bring himself to leave with his task not finished. "I have promised my father I would have this done by tonight." He answered as he knelt back on the heel of his feet and looked down at his friend, "I cannot do that if I go with you." It was the truth, for there was no short hunting trip in that young man's book. Each of the boys in the group had put pressure on him, some of them even taunting, shouting some very unnecessary things. He'd not changed his mind though, and they'd finally turned and walked away. It was only then Man of Justice saw them; Bright Star's father and his father. He wondered if they had overheard what the boys were saying. Man of Justice went back to work knowing that it didn't matter what his friends thought or if the fathers had listened. He had a job to do and he meant to do it.

"I told you he would take the stand of a man and keep his word to me." Straight Arrow looked at Bright Star's father. "Now will you listen?"

Grey Hawk nodded. "He is an exception to the rule for sure. Though, I worry," he looked at Straight Arrow, "are you sure you really want to give him additional responsibility so young?"

Straight Arrow turned up the palms of his hands, "He has proven himself in battle and done well enough on the hunts he's done on. He is a man now. It is not good for a man to be alone, even one so young. I have seen the way he looks at your daughter and the way she looks at him. Let us make a marriage agreement between them; it will be good for both of them."

Man of Justice could see the two men talking but paid them no mind until his father stood on the ground below calling him down. He wasn't done yet, but he wasn't about to tell his father he was too busy either. Laying down his tools, Man of Justice hurried to get down on the ground and next to his father. "Hin-ah-mus?"

"What is it?" Jarrod looked at his brothers with a half smile upon his face and chuckled. "Had I known what he wanted I might have stayed up on that roof and never asked such a question." That statement earned a few chuckles from his brothers before and a "I don't blame you" from Nick.

"What?" Man of Justice sat in the wigwam and stared at his father. Was the man serious? Sure he liked Bright Stars, he'd even hauled water for her a number of times and visited her while doing so. Still to marry her? At his age? If it wasn't for the fact that his father wore such a serious look upon his face, Man of Justice might have thought the man was joking.

"Very serious, you are a man now and it is not good for a man to be alone. As you know by now, our marriages are arranged. Though, most of the time, I admit the interested man would go talk to the father of the woman he wishes to marry. You have proved to be an exceptional man, and both I and Grey Hawk agree the marriage should be handled with care. You do like her, do you not?" Straight Arrow looked at him daring him to deny what he, Straight Arrow, had seen with his own eyes. The man was not surprised when no such denial was forthcoming.

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Man of Justice stood in the middle of the camp dressed in the ceremonial clothing Shoshone men wore when taking a bride. Bright Star, who stood only two inches shorter than him, stood in the dress her mother had worn on her wedding day with her long black hair tossed back and forth in the wind. It seemed as the whole village had turned out for the wedding, which due to Bright Star's mother's ill health was taking a mere two days after their father's had talked. After all, the only thing the ailing woman had wanted was to see her daughter married.

The village's spiritual leader talked while Jarrod couldn't keep his eyes off his bride. If someone had told him when he joined the wagon train that this is where he'd wind up later, he would have never believed them. As it was he was lucky to hear their spiritual leader say, *"Wat-to-mah-mo-re-hi", meaning 'Both of you kiss'. Man of Justice felt as nervous as a jackrabbit corned by a fox as he laid his hands on Bright Stars cheeks and gently brought her mouth up to his. He didn't know if that first kiss was the equivalent to the thunder bolts he'd heard some of the other young men talk about, only thing he knew was he liked it.

After the ceremony and celebrations, he led her to the wigwam his father, her father, he and others had hurried to put up in the short amount of time they had. It set within a hundred yards of Straight Arrow's. With no one around but Bright Star, Man of Justice and his bride stood as awkwardly as two young people attending their first dance. Having been raised on a ranch, and hearing the talk among the ranch hands, and then the talk among some of the other men in the village, Man of Justice knew what was expected of him. Only problem was, he was far too nervous.

Bright Star smiled as her mother had warned her not to expect too much from such a young man. She'd then embarrassed her daughter by getting rather blunt with her, though the woman had apologized afterwards saying she only wished the best for her youngest.

Man of Justice caught his breath when Bright Star ran her hands up his chest. "We don't have to be perfect," she'd whispered as she slid her arms around his neck and brushed her lips against his saying, "We just have to learn together." That had done him in and he'd lain her down upon the rug that his father had given him.

Jarrod's heart was beating fast as the memory of his wedding night came back to him. He had to close his eyes once more and take another pain filled breath. "Many men think it's their job to teach their wives when it comes to pleasing them, but we had to learn together. Truth is," he opened his eyes and looked at his brothers, pain still clearly in his eyes. "Afterwards, I could never get enough of her and I don't just mean physically. Bright Star turned out to be a great cook, housekeeper and most of all she had a true and pure spirit in her. She was brave and fiery when she needed to be, even stubborn, and I loved her as much as I knew how to back then. She still comes to me in my dreams once in awhile." Neither Nick nor Heath said a word as Jarrod fell into silence, but not until he'd promised to continue the story if they'd just give him a few minutes to regain the control he felt he was losing.

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*While I did find out the Shoshone had a spiritual leader married the men and women in their society, I could not find out exactly what takes place. That being the case, I put the traditional kissing the bride in this story. Though, I have heard that it very well could be an English tradition. Just call it the romantic in me.