.: I've been playing too much Minecraft lately, so this whole chapter was written today LMAO. I can't believe I sat down and busted out 6,000 words like it was nothing in less than 16 hours. I amaze myself sometimes. Anyway, you remember that scene in James Cameron's Avatar where Neytiri and Jake get married essentially? She takes him to a very romantic place and shows how much she loves him by giving him options for the women in the tribe, because if you love something enough, sometimes you have to let it go. But Jake the whole time is like "No I want you baby" and they end up together. I love that scene, so I wanted to do my own little spin on it. I think you'll enjoy it! :.

The Girl with A Half-Soul

Chapter 53:

The Wolf Woman: Matrimony

As daybreak crossed the New World's horizon, the outline of Zunesha returned to the naked eye. The ancient being continued its aimless trek around the ocean, unaware of what the Mokomo Dukedom was up to as they began to stir. Guards at different posts were relieving the ones who worked the last twelve hours. One such guard, a goat mink, walked up the steps to the duke's humble little palace. It rested at the top of a hill in the heart of the city with the Whale tree in perfect view behind it.

Stepping to the entrance, the guard noticed a familiar messenger bird waiting to be acknowledged. Its white feathers showed no evidence of being damp. No fatigue was obvious, either. The little pouch strapped to its leg had something inside. He held his arm out for it to perch and then made his way inside to present it to the duke.

Since dawn was still creeping, the duke was fast asleep in his room. The guard entered but said nothing to wake him. He simply waited next to the door and transferred the bird to a stand. He knew it was from Rodencia, but wondered if it contained good news or bad news. The updates so far have been positive. They had used the Navy's secret routes of transportation to cross the Red Line smoothly for Paradise. There was even an altercation with pirates along the way, but they were overpowered and captured. The last update given was that the mercenaries had made it to the island and contact with the natives was commencing. That was a month ago.

When the duke rolled over in his bed, he was half asleep. It was not until his black beady eyes blinked a few times that he realized he had company. Relaxation suddenly felt like laziness. He shot up in his bed, the sunlight from the open windows glistening against his waterproof brown fur. There was also a bill in place of a mouth, a long flat tail, and webbing between his fingers and toes. The duke was truly the most unique-looking mink of them all, for he was Quintus the platypus mink.

His gargantuan size required his bed to accommodate, but it still creaked loudly from all the movements. The roundness of his body did not help. Despite appearing clumsy and too big for his own good, Quintus was actually practical and found ways to make use of things others would perceive as bothersome. Overall, his looks were deceiving.

When he noticed the bird, he immediately got out of bed and skedaddled over. "Thank you-gara," he said as his bulbous fingers pinched at the pouch to open it and pull out the note. He took it over to a table and carefully unrolled it to not rip it. With a finger pressing down the top and bottom, he leaned down heavily to read the small handwriting.

Duke Quintus,

As you-teia know, our party arrived at the island and began work to settle issues between the Navy and the natives. Things have not gone as planned, unfortunately. It turns out the Navy lied about the situation in this place, and we were being used to removing the natives completely instead of acting as damage control. This is nothing short of a war. I am proud to share that Kiyaya was the one who knocked sense into us.

We have abandoned our contract with the Navy to help the natives keep their home. It was my decision, and I am fully prepared to face the consequences of my actions per your judgement, but I must request your help in the next coming weeks. The natives have been hanging on by a thread. We are working with them to prepare them for the upcoming confrontations with Marines, but we cannot succeed without your help. I, Rodencia, formally request reinforcements of your choosing so we may put an end to this unnecessary bloodshed. It is dire. I cannot stress this enough. Without your help, evil wins here. I look forward to your response.

Rodencia

Based on how quiet Quintus was being, the guard started to feel worried. He was as still as a statue. If he stayed hunched over like that for too long, it would hurt his back for the entire day, and it just started. After a minute of contemplating what he read and what it meant, Quintus left the note there and told to guard to follow him with it.

They both left the palace to head into the city. In a few short hours, the first flood would come, but that did not stop the market from setting up and minks from filling the roads. Seeing the duke had them all take a moment to greet him before he passed. "Garchu, Duke Quintus!" he constantly heard. Then he had to share nuzzles since it was their custom. Usually, he was in higher spirits when out in public, but he had to find someone to help him figure out what to do. There was one person who he felt like was perfect to confide in.

Getting out of the city, Quintus and his guard entered the Whale Forest. The Three Musketeers protected it, so the person he was looking for was not normally found in the city unless he was visiting the palace. Stone buildings turned to wooden ones in this place. The minks resided in many that were tree houses. Although he was not bombarded with garchus now, he still received some. Life was more spread out here.

When he found the correct house, he was met with a squirrel mink kneeling in front of a young rat mink at the front door. The squirrel mink wore high black boots with a frilly white shirt and a loose brimmed hat that had a flimsy feather sticking from it. His big bushy tail was brown like the rest of his fur but had a unique pattern to it. The rat mink with matching brown fur was impatient as his shirt was being buttoned for him. "There," Thalor said when he finished. "Ready for duty?"

"I guess," Roderick replied unenthusiastically. It was early in the morning. He wanted to sleep longer!

But the sound of heavy footsteps swayed his attention. He saw Quintus coming and quickly resorted to hiding behind his father. Thalor was unafraid. In fact, he was pleased to see the leader of their tribe. "Garchu, Duke Quintus," he greeted.

"Garchu. I'm glad I caught you-gara before you left."

"For what?"

Quintus glanced down at his guard and nodded for him to give Thalor the note. "We finally received another update from your bride. You-gara know her better than anyone. What do you-gara think about it?"

Thalor took the paper and read over it for a moment.

"Is Mommy coming home?!" Roderick asked excitedly.

"Not yet," Thalor told him. "It looks like it'll be longer than planned."

"Aww…"

"But she seems to be in good health. That's what's important."

"So you-gara believe the update?" Quintus questioned.

"Why wouldn't I? It's her handwriting, and she uses this tone when it's about something serious."

Quintus hesitated and scratched the back of his head. "Just seems like such a rash decision for her…"

"Well, you-gara said it's been a month since we last heard from her. A lot has probably happened that she did not tell us. What I can say with confidence is that she hasn't given up. She's simply asking for help."

"But how much help should I give her?"

"She left that up to you-gara."

"Hm." He suddenly plopped down hard enough to make the squishy ground send shockwaves in all directions. Roderick held onto his father's legs to keep his balance. As Quintus thought some more, he crossed his chubby arms and patted his flat tail against the ground. "She might've opened a can of worms. I should send anyone I can."

"Then do that."

"I'll send you-gara."

"W-What?"

"What? You-gara don't want to?"

"Sir, I'm one of the Three Musketeers. I'm sworn to protect the Whale Forest. I can't leave it vulnerable to attack."

"Thalor, besides the Marines visiting, when was the last time we were attacked?"

He reflected only to remember how eventless his duties were. Lots of patrolling with nothing much happening besides minor rescue missions and mediating small disputes between minks. At some point, he would start training one of the next musketeers who would eventually take his place. But Quintus was right. At least in his lifetime, there had been total peace in Zou.

"My point proven," the duke concluded. "Besides, you-gara also have a duty to your wife. You should go be with her. Roderick, too."

Thalor deflated slightly. He would be lying if he claimed to not miss Rodencia. He missed her terribly. Roderick needed her in his life, especially when he was still considered a toddler. They were doing okay without her, but it was obvious that things were not the same.

"Don't worry. I'll send plenty of warriors with you-gara," Quintus continued. "I might even go along. We'll call it an adventure."

"Are you-gara sure about that?"

"Come on. We all like peace but you-gara must admit it can also be boring. Let's go help people in need and share some peace with them." He leaned back and quickly shifted his weight to pull forward and return to his feet. "I'll get ships built. We leave as soon as we can. Write Rodencia back saying we're on our way and deliver it to me before midday."

"U-Uh, okay. How many reinforcements?"

"All of them." He walked away with the guard, holding a hand in the air as a see you-gara later. If his mercenaries needed backup, he was sure to send more than necessary.

The skies were clear with bountiful winds that touched everything in their paths. In the middle of the afternoon, it was usually hot temperatures, but today felt cool. The yellow prairie looked active and ready for a rain shower. It was very welcoming.

But the welcome was taken advantage of by a giant prairie dog. The soil quaked and then a mountain of dirt erupted. The furry animal stood in his newly formed crater with front feet dangling and nose twitching. A quick survey of the area had him quickly dive back down to disappear into his burrow.

Just a couple seconds later was when a herd of horses galloped right around it like a stream avoiding a stone. The sound was harmoniously thunderous. In pursuit was a group of Lun'aecho warriors riding on bisonback. This was the last wild herd on the entire island that they could account for. They needed to bring them into the mountains with the rest.

It felt so good to be outside in the open without fear. Nobody had seen a Marine in a long time. Only their ships had been spotted in the waters, so they knew the threat was still imminent. The question was what were they waiting for? Fortunately, it allowed the Lun'aecho Tribe to relax a tiny bit. Their heads were not on a swivel for once. Warriors like Lakota were especially fond of that knowledge.

He kept his back straight as the galloping wanted to test his balance. Luckily, he was still a pro at the technique he learned as a young boy. The only thing he could not rely on was his legs since they could not clutch the bison's sides to keep from falling off. His steed jostled him, but he was not afraid. Reins were in hand as he started to pull ahead of the others. Only one matched his pace, and she was a fairly new rider.

The curve of the horses path caused them both to do the same. They felt the force against their bodies, but the pursuit was still hot. All they had to do was guide them in the right direction for now. Be fast enough to ride on the sides. Horses were incredible creatures, though. A simple jog for them was a sprint for other animals. Before they could wall them in, one of the horses panicked and departed.

Kiyaya glanced at Lakota, wanting help making a decision to either continue or go after it instead. He looked behind them to tell the others to go on without them. Then he came next to the wolf woman so they could take care of the problem. He was not worried in the slightest, so neither was she.

The horse that went off on its own was a little bit younger judging by its size. The bison were quick to catch up to it. "Just like we practiced!" Lakota told her.

Kiyaya held the reins in one hand and pulled out a lasso with the other. After practicing with inanimate objects, including Lakota, she had done three living beings before, also including Lakota. She was still shaky with the skill. The loop was tossed with enough trajectory and power, going right over the horse's neck. She pulled it taut.

"Nice work!" Lakota praised, pulling his reins to slow down.

The horse was unhappy but calmed down enough. They decided to take a small break from the event by stopping for a minute. Kiyaya watched as Lakota circled her and the horse with an infectious smile on his face. She may have been teaching him things these last few months, but he also taught her some things regarding life on this unnamed island. Now she was demonstrating how much she took it seriously by a flawless capture.

Something about seeing him happy made her feel light in her own skin. His smile, the change in tone of his irises, and even his complexion showed an improvement in his wellbeing. Still crippled with no sign of further progression in taking a single step, but he did not care. He was just living and looking forward to new days for the first time ever. The wolf mink could see that even if he never voiced it aloud.

As for herself, Kiyaya thought she was fitting in quite well. Her wild strands were pulled back in a long braid. Feathers were pinned decoratively and waved with all her movements. She was even gifted new clothes, which made her elated since sharing clothing was a Mink Tribe tradition with new friends. Now everywhere she walked, she truly blended in with the Lun'aecho people despite being a different race. It also helped that she remained small in stature for the majority of the time, thanks to Cherokee. There was only one scare where she suddenly turned big again without warning and almost crushed Lakota while they slept. Now they just look back and laugh about it.

"Now you get to bring your little friend back with us as proof that you can rope like a true warrior," he told her with pride backing it.

"Really? I thought it would be considered proof that our work with the wild animals is done now," she replied.

"That's true. One less thing on our plate." He passed by her very close, purposely brushing a hand against hers to show affection and to prompt her to come with him. The gesture was small, but it still raised her body temperature. She watched him get ahead before turning the bison to follow him. Kiyaya was not as naïve as him, though she had never felt this way about anyone else in her life. She just knew her heart was trying to tell her something in moments like those. The way it reacted to him in general was a telling sign. Every touch, every conversation they shared, even when she was helping him with things like moving or bathing. She was not stubborn enough to deny her feelings for him,

Plus, why would she even try to? She never once felt homesick. Yes, she missed specific people from her past, but it was not enough to want to leave this place. She enjoyed life here. It was starting to dawn on her that this really was her forever home. Besides, Lakota already expressed his desire for her to stay – stay with him specifically.

Let's face it. You're stuck with me. I can't live life without you.

No guilt came to her, telling her she was content with the decision. At this point, the only thing left to do was to tell him. It made her nervous, but she did not know why. Lakota was the last person to reject the idea. Maybe he would make sure she had thought it through completely, but he would never tell her not to stay. It was probably the second half of her confession that was eating away at her. He may have been physically attracted to her, but she had yet to figure out what he thought of her as a person. There was only one way to find out.

Kiyaya's bison trotted after him with the horse in tow. They were going to catch up with the others and show Cherokee that they were now ready for the mink reinforcements to arrive. Messages had been sent back and forth frequently. There was still no telling how many were coming; they just knew they had made it to Paradise recently. Now it was just a matter of them getting here without an Eternal Log Pose.

The long hike back up into the mountains took a good hour. The horses were directed down into the heart where they were free to roam however they wanted. The same pretty much applied to every animal brought here. Cows, bison, pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, and even a few ducks and dogs were given a new home for the duration of the war. There was a battle for resources going on, but they could deal with it for now. Animals left alone were things like bears, wolves, coyotes, and the giant wildlife that inhabited the plains and deserts. One thing was for sure: They no longer had to hunt for food. The poor deer in the mountains were probably wondering why the place was so crowded nowadays.

Cherokee was waiting for them all. Their arrival horn had alerted them, and then she used her Observation Haki to locate their position. The past few months had also changed her some. She was officially the Chieftain now and wore a beautiful feathery headdress full of woven pieces and beads stitched together. Feathers from all kinds of birds cascaded up and off her head while others dangled around her face. The accented colors were complemented by the way she painted around her eyes with a touch also on her lips and chin. "I assume it went well. You were gone for four days," she greeted.

"Nothing bad happened," Lakota reported as he stopped in front of her. "It took us a while to find the herd, but other than that, it was a good trip. You look pretty, by the way."

"Thank you," she said with a smile and blush.

"It should be the last herd," Kiyaya added. "Now we just wait I guess."

"And continue to train," Cherokee reminded. "Although, I must admit, the tribe we have not the same one from when the war started. The minks have changed us for the better."

She spoke the truth. Lakota noticed the physical advancements in everyone who dedicated themselves to the training. The Lun'aecho were stronger, faster, sharper, and had higher energy levels. They were almost eager for the Marines to return because they knew they could fight without inadequacies. No bullets or blades could pierce their flesh now. It was also easier to fight thanks to learning how to instinctively dodge attacks and read others. Haki had been harnessed.

Lakota was one of a handful who could not say the same for themselves. His Observation Haki was astounding when it came to its range, but while everyone else's bodies reached their peaks, his lower half continued to shrivel. Not using his legs caused the muscles to severely atrophy. They kept thinning and would keep doing so until they were basically bones and some fat distribution. Sitting would get painful eventually. Still, it was not going to cause him to complain or take on a victim mentality. His drawbacks drove him to do things better in other areas.

Rodencia jogged over to join them. "Sorry I'm late," she said, sporting Lun'aecho clothing and feathers as well. "I received more word from the reinforcements."

"Good news?" Kiyaya asked, dismounting from her bison.

The rat mink unrolled the paper to look over it once again. "They've been receiving pressure from the Navy, but still on their way. The dates between messages being received are getting to a day apart. We should be expecting them soon."

"Excellent," Cherokee responded. "We'll have to start patrolling the shores for their arrival."

"I can get groups assembled with a mink each to help identify their ships."

"Me, too?" Kiyaya questioned with a little bit of apprehension.

"You-teia won't be separated. Don't worry."

She visibly relaxed with relief. Lakota reached down and ruffled her hair playfully. "Another expedition with my favorite mink sounds perfect," he proclaimed.

Kiyaya pretended to grab his arm and twist it in opposite directions to break it, but he barely felt a grip for it to cause any harm at all.

Cherokee giggled and turned away from them. "We'll send groups tomorrow. You both get rest tonight."

"You know where to find us," Lakota told her.

Kiyaya took his reins to start leading their bison to their tent. It was a little bit secluded from the rest of the tribe purely because of his training. People helped them put it together so it could withstand the elements. Crossing a small stream led them to it as it was suspended from the trees. Compared to the teepees, their hideout was big enough to accommodate Kiyaya's normal size for the days she was not cursed. But for nights like these, there was plenty of space for them to enjoy.

She helped pull him off his bison and got him settled inside. Her mind immediately went to wanting to light a lantern for them, but she was stopped by the sudden tug against her tail. Her baffled squeak had him laugh and let go. Her cheeks burned under her fur. Was he flirting with her now that they were alone?

A quick spark got a lantern to glow. She went to retrieve supper for them, taking the time to think about how she was going to talk to him. A quick bit of fishing got her cleaning carcasses and roasting the filets over a small fire. The sun was reaching the lower half of the sky when she returned to the tent. They ate together like they always did, engaging in conversation that revolved around the ending of the war approaching. The leftover bones were tossed, and they got comfortable for the first time in four days.

The lantern illuminated brighter as dusk fell over them. She closed the entrance and spread their bedding across in disarray just as they preferred it. When she was not big enough to act as his mattress, they still slept with tangible contact being made. Kiyaya remembered the first night they tried to figure it out. He actually invited her to switch the roles for once. She had never rested on someone's chest before. It was an experience she never wanted to forget since it was some of the best sleep she ever got. Lakota had good taste. Also, she now understood why he liked doing it to her.

It was not always like that, though. Some mornings had them waking up with backs pressed against each other. Others showed she had rolled away from him. The consistency was lacking. Regardless, she hoped it did not have to stop. The last thing she wanted was to ruin what they had built.

She sat up while he spoke without a clear goal. "Lakota," she softly said.

He paused and looked at her. "Sorry. I was rambling."

"No, it's okay." She liked the fact that he was being himself around her. It showed his trust through behavior. "You-teia just talk about the war so casually. I hope you know that I'm not going anywhere after it's over."

He took a few seconds to take in what she meant. "Oh, I know. Because you'll always be in here," he replied with a hand over his heart.

You-teia are so cute, she thought to herself.

"Well, yes, but I'm being serious. I don't want to go back to Zou."

"What? But you said your parents are still there."

"I know."

"They miss you."

"And I miss them, too. But I like it here better."

"Listen, if this is because I made you feel like you're not allowed to leave me, I wasn't really trying to keep you from going home."

"I know what you-teia meant–" She slid closer to him "–The truth is that I want to stay and be a Lun'aecho warrior."

The way her voice kept from wavering told him how resolute she was about this. He just did not want her to make a life-changing decision so rashly because it could lead to regret. "You're sure about this?"

She nodded once and blinked slowly. All she wanted was for him to be okay with it, too.

Although he was still a little bit unsure, he knew she still had time to change her mind. He reached around her to pull their heads together for a nuzzle. If she did not do that, of course he would be happy to keep her around forever. "That's good," he supported. "We'd love to keep you as a warrior."

"It won't be weird?"

He let go of her. "Never. Not when you're huge, either."

She smiled and tittered at his lightheartedness.

"You'd be allowed to do everything we do. I know you only eat fish, but you're capable of everything else. You could even choose a man."

Her ears perked. Good, she did not have to bring it up herself.

"I recommend Tolowa. He's great at fishing. You'd be set for life."

Her left ear drooped. For a second, she was hoping this part of the conversation would happen a lot more naturally. Instead of volunteering himself, he was giving her options. It was sweet of him to try helping her, but it was ultimately not what she wanted. "I don't want Tolowa," she politely declined.

"That's okay. We have a lot of strong warriors. Like Comanche. Having Haki will be disastrous for the Marines when they have to fight him. He could be your forever sparring partner."

She pretended to consider it just to see if it would bother him in any way. "Yeah, he is a good fighter."

Instead of being shocked that she agreed, he seemed delighted for her. All he wanted was for her to find true happiness. Yes, he loved being with her and knew his life would be drastically different without her existence, but Lakota never wished for the wolf mink to stay because of obligation. She deserved to live without being shackled to him only. If that required him to let her go, he would be sad but glad that he did not hold her back.

Since her attempt did not work, she ripped the bandage off. "I've already chosen."

He met her eyes with surprise. "That was fast. Who?"

She stifled a laugh. There was no way he was being this oblivious. His love languages must have been giving her mixed signals or something. He might have not even realized that he was telling her he had reciprocal feelings through his actions. How he went crazy for her without hiding it nowadays was a big one.

Kiyaya pushed on to finish getting her message across. "But this man must also choose me."

"Yeah. Makes sense."

Seriously? she wanted to impatiently exclaim. She instead touched his arm and dragged her fingertips down the underside until she could hold his hand. "You-teia don't want to force me to stay. Well, I don't want to force you into wanting me back."

Lakota kept his gaze locked on hers. When he broke it to look at their hands, he suddenly realized that the man she was referring to was him. Why did he feel blindsided? Had he always been this clueless? Knowing he was super slow at picking up the signs embarrassed him. Yeah, he messed around and had a micro-obsession with her body and its proportions, but he had been assuming this whole time that she was brushing him off without caring much. Testosterone made men horny. There was nothing too complicated about it.

"Wait," he said, his voice cracking awkwardly. "Why choose me? I'm a burden."

"You're not," she defended.

"I am. Men have to provide. I can't provide for you."

"I'm not looking for someone to provide for me. I'm looking for someone who makes me happy. And that someone is you-teia. But if I'm not the same for you-teia, then I'll respect your decision."

I see the way she looks at you-teia. How she thinks so highly of you, and how you support her as a confidant. It's okay to choose her, Lakota. She was with you first. I just got here.

His words were stuck in his throat, creating a lump that he refused to let show itself. Kiyaya singled him out when she did not have to. He was touched. Why was this reaction contrasting the one he had when Cherokee expressed her love for him? Picturing life as a husband and father with his lifelong friend felt more like a responsibility he had to uphold. That same vision with Kiyaya instead, it felt more…real. It was hard to describe. Even the potential of having children that were not human did not rescind his feelings.

Lakota realized that he chose Kiyaya a while ago. He always anticipated time spent with her. The way he struggled to get a good night's rest without her, or how defeated he felt whenever she had to leave him for a few hours were big indications of that. He wanted her to be happy. To be happy with him felt so freeing. That lump in his throat grew until it could no longer be contained. He felt his eyes grow teary and his lip want to clench.

"Oh, Lakota," Kiyaya verbalized, letting him go so she could move even closer to him. He never cried when he was in excruciating pain, nor when he found out to be crippled. But he was willing to cry over a love confession? That was the cutest and sweetest thing she had ever seen. She hugged him tight to show everything was okay. A little bit of emotions did not hurt anyone's masculinity.

His face was smothered into her chest just the way he liked it. It was the perfect place to express these emotions without emitting much sound. And she held him indefinitely, letting him decide when he was ready to stop.

By the time he was calm again, he let it soak in that these kinds of moments were going to be exclusive for them both. They were going to be eternal companions. Kiyaya was not settling for him like he felt he would be doing with Cherokee. They were going to be genuinely happy together.

One last shaky inhalation from him got him to smile. He relinquished the embrace to trade it for something else. His functional hand caressed where her triangular jaw originated from the bone structure of her face, and he pressed his lips right against her philtrum to kiss her. When it ended, he did not let go. Lakota kissed her again until she matched the effort he was putting forth. Kiyaya knew without a doubt now that his feelings were indeed reciprocated. A gentle relieved exhalation left her nostrils.

He pulled back slightly with a tiny chuckle. "Your nose is wet," he pointed out, rubbing the tip of his against it.

She looked back with embarrassment. "And my tail is wagging," she admitted, seeing the fluffy end of it excitedly wiggle in the air.

He laughed more, kissing the side of her face next. "I love you. Will you marry me?"

"Marry you-teia?"

"Yeah! Marriage is not very fancy in our culture. We just kind of do it."

"How so?"

"Well, a proper proposal would be me presenting you with a wedding vest that I make myself. But…I kind of can't do it fast like others can. But basically, I present it, you wear it, then boom. We're married."

She smiled and closed her eyes. "I'd love to help you-teia make one if it doesn't break tradition."

The offer was one he hoped for to save himself the stress. Besides, even if it did technically break tradition, he would not have cared. "At least I'll know if you like it or not."

"It's a symbol for our bond. It'll be pretty no matter what." She suddenly kissed him again with a "Mu-ah!" and crawled over to where loose materials were just laying around. He would design the vest, and she would bring it to reality. It was a project that took them deep into the night. But the lantern kept them alert, and their constant communication refrained their minds from feeling any fatigue.

Hours of stitching, beading, and weaving resulted in a brown vest with orange beads dangling with fringe and yellow yarn woven in triangular patterns across various sections. The lantern made the colors glow like a sunset. When she opened the tent entrance to step outside, she looked down at herself to see if the other part of the design worked. He brushed her to get excess fur off and use it for a background of the yellow yarn. The moonlight hitting the white fibers made them a lustrous silver.

"It works," she confirmed for him.

"You look so beautiful."

She came back inside, letting the flap conceal the inside of their tent again.

"Wifey~"

It was official now, according to Lun'aecho culture. Kiyaya was used to small ceremonies with unions among the Mink Tribe. Having this moment just be between them both was so intimate. She would walk around in the morning with the subtle announcement that she was a married woman. All she wanted from the evening was for Lakota to simply know how she felt. Jumping straight into matrimony far exceeded her expectations.

She came over to him, standing over him so she could shift to her knees. "I love you-teia, too," she declared, realizing she never said it back to him earlier.

At first, he was uncertain of why she was almost in his lap. But then she kissed him again and helped lower his upper half to the ground. Clothes were unbuttoned, air was exposed to bare skin, all while the kisses came one after the other. The moment that the first pair of moans respired, the lantern was blown out. Yes, this felt completely right to him. He surrendered himself to her willingly, exchanging gifts of virtue.

She was surprised to hear their voices this late into the night. The rest of the tribe were training elsewhere, so she was not expecting it here as well. The nightly retreat to the canyon had finished. Cherokee thought about making a surprise visit until she listened to what was being discussed. They were so distracted that they never sensed her presence nearby. Standing behind a tree, she continued to listen. There was never an opportunity for her. Instead, she was left to find out that the love of her life was done thinking about it.

Lakota never wanted her.

What was this feeling of body tissue tearing apart in her chest? It hurt so bad. Her heart palpitated in distress. A silent wail made her lips open. It crumpled her body, making her collapse onto her knees and back arch. This pain was so terrible that nobody could hear it. Her lungs locked up and her eyes squeezed shut. Her cheeks and lips moistened with body fluids associated with grief. Her whole world was shattered.

The witchdoctor, almost reading her mind, cast a curse upon her that made sure the silence continued as she began to come undone. Her nose tried to bring air in finally, but it was completely stopped up. She stood by with no emotions toward what her master was going through. She just watched as Cherokee finally screamed.