Chapter 11

Lisabeth was preparing to leave, torn between two worlds she would have liked to see Jake but knew it was impossible now that the people had to get strong. She sighed as she packed away her things.

"Lisabeth, Lisabeth", she heard a familiar voice calling from outside. She at first looked around and then went to where she had heard the voice. Looking at the bushes, she almost gasped but held it in because she did not want anyone to know who she saw. If they knew, he would have had much trouble.

"Jake!" she whispered, "you should not be here!"

Jake put his finger to his lips so that she would be quiet, he said "Meet me tonight at the clearing." He then left and was gone as silently as he had come. He had learned much from Chris and Charles and Mark. He could go through the woods silently and seem to disappear when he needed to.

"Lisabeth, what are you doing outside!" Her mother called to her, "come back in now!"

Lisabeth looked one more time, did not see him and went inside.

"Why were you outside when you need to be in to pack. Here put these in the satchel." Her mother handed her some things which she immediately did as she was told.

"You did not answer me! What were you doing outside?"

"Nothing mother, I thought I heard something and went to look but did not see anything." Lisabeth said as convincingly as she could. Her mother just looked at her and nodded her head.

"Well, soon you will be married, and we will have a roof over our heads!" Her mother said as she prepared the final meal they would eat at this camp. Tomorrow they would be leaving to her brother's camp and her daughter would soon be married.

Later that night. Lisabeth pretended she had to go out as she slipped through the doorway. Her mother was asleep, however, her cousin who was going with them was awake and watched as she slipped out. Her cousin followed behind very silently.

Lisabeth went to the clearing and saw him standing in the moonlight. She caught her breathe, he was so handsome, his silhouette was amazing. She knew then that he would be for her.

"Lisabeth, you came!" His voice was quiet yet breathless. He had hoped she would but was unsure.

"I am here, but I am worried for you Jake!" He motioned her to be quiet as he sat down under the tree, she sat next to him.

"I am glad we can see each other one more time! I am not sure that we will be able to see each other again. Can you delay the marriage until we can find some other way?"
Lisabeth looked at him, "I do not know? I am to be married at the next full moon, that will be in your time about a month from now! But how did you manage to come here? I am afraid that you will have to go before anyone can see you!"
"My dear, I won't leave you! I love you and want to marry you! I can't think straight without you by my side…"
Just then there was a noise, and both stopped and stayed very still. Her cousin came out of the bushes and looked at them.

"Lisabeth and Jake, I will try to help you!" Little Bird said.

"Little Bird, what are you doing here? You followed me, didn't you?" Lisabeth was angry but Jake looked at her and made a motion for Lisabeth to be quiet.

"Little Bird, what can you do to help us?" Jake said.

"I know all about John Wolf, I have wanted to marry him myself, but my mother forbids it! I don't want you to marry him, you don't love him, I do!" Little Bird said with conviction.

"What do you mean?"

"Lisabeth, ever since we were children, I always played with John Wolf, we are best friends, I had decided that I would marry him when I grew up, but because we are from the same tribe, I cannot. "

"So, what can you do? I certainly cannot say no to my uncle?" said Lisabeth.

Little Bird, looked at both Lisabeth and Jake, then she said: "You can run away with Jake and then John will be for me!"

Lisabeth and Jake looked at each other, then Jake said:
"We can't do that Little Bird, there is much tension between the Lummi and the white settlers. I don't want to be the cause of a war which could hurt all of us!"

"Neither do I, Little Bird!" Lisabeth said.

The three of them sat and thought about the situation. Then Jake got an idea.

"Lisabeth, maybe we can do something?"

Lisabeth looked at Jake and then at Little Bird, then looked at Jake with a question on her face.

"Lisabeth, my Uncle Jason came up with an idea when another tribe in Seattle needed to have brides. This happened the first year, they provided a 'dowry' and some other things as well as three brides that the chief chose."

"What do you mean?" both girls looked at Jake.

"Well, it seems that the chief's brother had taken all the women from their tribe because he believed that the warriors were better than the chief's half of the tribe who fished. So, when the chief heard that Jason had brought some brides to Seattle, he though he could get a couple for his tribe. They brought beaver pelts to pay for the brides and then chose those they wanted. The brides were a bit unhappy, but Jason talked to the chief and they showed his brother that they could get wives as well. Finally, the brother saw that the tribe needed to be together, and the brides went home while the other women from the tribe were returned to his brother.

The girls looked at Jake and still did not understand, so Jake explained a way to do this.

"What we can do is have you get ready to marry John Wolf but when you come to him, you come with a complete veil over you, instead of it being you, Lisabeth, it can be Little Bird!"

Jake smiled at his idea, the girls looked at him and thought about it.

"Jake", Lisabeth said, what is going to keep John Wolf from coming after you?

"Yes, Jake!" a male voice said behind the tree.

The girls and Jake jumped; it was John Wolf who stepped out from behind the tree.

"I knew something was going on, when I saw you on the ridge the other day!"
Jake looked at him, he had been caught. He was going to keep his mouth shut when he said: "John, pleased to meet you! What do you think of our idea?" Jake smiled as he said that.

John Wolf looked at him and smiled as well. "You know that is not a particularly good idea because if you had pulled that switch, I would have been obligated to go after you and kill you. As it is now, I could kill you now and no one would blame me. Especially, since you are with two women from the tribe."
Jake looked a little scared and would have immediately started to fight with John, but John said:

"Do not worry, I will not say anything now, but what we can do is this…" John Wolf came up with a plan to go to the priest and have him marry Little Bird in the church and receive a marriage license for that marriage. Jake and Lisabeth would marry the same way and have the marriage license as well. When the parents and families questioned, they would be found to both be married.

A couple of weeks later, the girls and Jake and John Wolf headed toward the government office in Friday Harbor and then went to the church, St Francis Xavier, and asked to be married by the local priest.

When they were finished, Jake and Lisabeth went to Chris's house and John Wolf and Little Bird went back to the tribe.

"YOU WHAT!" Chris shouted at Jake. "You and Lisabeth are married! I thought you had been told to stay away from them! That is why Charles had brought the elder to help! Now we may be faced with a war!" Chris was fuming when Merilee interrupted.

"Chris! Stop! Think about this. Lisabeth says that she, Little Bird and John Wolf all agreed to this. They are old enough to make their own decisions about this!"

Chris was fuming, he did not know what to say or even what he could say or do. He was worried about the ramifications it would have; would the peaceful coexistence still be peaceful?

Jake and Lisabeth, stood in the middle of the kitchen, Merilee, was nursing her new baby another girl who they named Sara. Mark came in with Charles and Mary Star who also had a new baby, a boy, he was named Christopher.

Mary Star spoke up: "Chris, it is alright! The tribal elders have agreed on a correct punishment for the deception. Both Jake and John Wolf will be fishing for the tribe this fall and Jake will have to provide a home for Lisabeth's mother."

Chris looked at Mary Star, then as Charles came in, he looked at Charles who shrugged his shoulders and said that the elders had a council. Since Lisabeth's mother had no one to provide for her, it would have John Wolf's job, if he had married Lisabeth but since Jake did, would have to provide a home for her as well as Lisabeth. But both would be working the fishing season everyday this time.

Chris looked at Jake. "What will Candy and Jeremy say? I think you should write to your mom and dad and let them know. And since you are married, that is your responsibility!"

Jake looked at Chris and nodded in agreement. Lisabeth, was welcomed into the family and Lisabeth's mother would join them when Jake had a cabin built for the three of them.