"I have never loved Sasha. She was more like a sister. She will marry the scum of the earth, a Shoshone, let her. Had she loved me she would have told her father no. If her father insists on peace, we might leave this tribe so we may war with the blue coats."
"She does love you. She told me so. She was my friend, but it was so hard to keep from telling her of my love for you. She even wanted to know if you'd marry us both."
"I would have, if I had to. But don't worry. No longer. I will not have her now. I've never touched her as I've touched you. And you will be my bride, just as we planned long ago when I first took you as my own. You must know something my sweet, for I have never touched Sasha like this. You are my woman, and always will be. And I am proud to have you, all the young warriors want you. But I have let them know you are mine. Your beauty outshines all the women of this tribe."
"Oh Big Knife, I did not know you thought that. I'm glad, I please you. For I feel the same of you. I cannot wait to bear you a child."
"There is much love between us, Naomie." Big Knife told her. "Besides, I only wanted her because she was the chief's daughter. It would have brought me much attention to have such a wife. The Chief would find favor with me as a son-in-law. But it doesn't matter, as her father won't be chief for long. He is in favor of peace and many of our warriors do not agree. He will have to listen to us, or we will leave the tribe and form our own. He is old and he does not want to war with the whites. He has listened to the other tribes here." Big Knife laughed, "He thinks I mourn the loss of Sasha. My heart is light, as I'm rid of her now. But he will never know it. I seek power, and I will have it when we kill the white men who come to destroy us." He stared into Naomie's eyes. "I want you again my sweet, you are the greatest of lovers. Tomorrow I will seek her father's favor as I mourn her, and all will be well when we are wed at last."
"Did you ever tell her how much you cared for me?"
"I could not, she would be angry and tell her father."
"She did not want you to marry us both. How long must we wait to wed?"
"A bit, a few months. But then you will be mine, forever."
"She has a right to some happiness with this man, if she can find it." Naomie told him. "After all, he fought you for her, and that is kind of romantic."
"Naomie, he did not win, I let him. Deep down, I did not want her. Never wanted her. I thought at first it would make me next in line to be chief. But he wants peace with the whites. I do not. His son will be chief, another peaceful chief. Sasha is against war too. But, let us not speak of her again, as I want you more every moment, I am with you. To take you is to take a prize possession. Your breasts fill my hands like a woman should, and your body makes me want you even more."
"You crave my body?" she asked with a sexy smile.
"Always." He smiled back. "You are mine, and I will claim you as my wife soon."
She snickered. "I want to be with you always. I loved Sasha as a friend, but I love you so much more. At times I was even jealous of her."
"There was no need. She is but a child. She might be wise as a Shaman, but she knows nothing of being a woman. There is no need of your jealousy. You are ten times the woman she is. Sasha hasn't the body of a woman."
Then he began to peel her clothes from her body and Sasha watched for a few minutes, learning what being a woman meant. Tears ran down her cheeks as Sasha slowly walked away. Strange though, it did not hurt her like she thought it would. It made her mad at the betrayal.
But she couldn't close her ears.
"You have no love for her?" Naomie asked.
"I never did. And I will prove it to you. soon, I will ask your father for your hand in marriage and we'll be married soon afterwards. But first I must appear as though I mourn losing her. I will bring six horses for you when I ask your father for your hand."
"Six, that is a lot." Naomie smiled. "He will be very pleased. It is good between us. It has always been good between us. And I am so happy to finally become your wife. I have wanted it for two years. You are the man I desire. I'm only sorry I had to lie to Sasha so much."
"I have made love with you many times, each time better than the last. You have the body of a beautiful woman, and I desire you all the time. Many braves do. You are the most beautiful woman in our camp. Your breasts fill my hands, and your hips are wide and will carry many children for me. One day, when we marry, I will declare my love for you in front of them all. Every man in the tribe will envy me."
"Do they know you deceived Sasha?"
"Sasha is the one who assumed I loved her." Big Knife told Naomie as he cuddled her nakedness in his arms.
"I never touched her or spoke words of love to her, like I do you. It was she that thought it. But all the warriors of our tribe want you, they are so jealous that I have found your love. We are good together. Sasha is not a woman yet. Never be jealous of such a naïve child." He whispered.
From the sounds they made, Sasha knew what they were doing, just from the way she heard the sticks b
eneath them crack, they must have made love. She flushed with anger.
Sasha left, bereft and confused. She'd heard and quietly walked away. Tears flooded her vision. Her life was changing now. Big Knife and Naomie had been lovers for some time, it sounded like. It was all a lie between her and Big Knife he had deceived her. And her best friend had betrayed her. And all because she was just the daughter of a chief. What a fool she'd been to think he loved her for herself. Strangely though she didn't feel the hurt in her heart so much. Deep down she had suspected Big Knife all along, especially when he'd put the wedding off because of moving to the reservation.
But was her father in danger? If the tribe split up, there might be more wars. She hated that. After years of wars, even she had to admit the whites were more powerful and grew in numbers as the years passed. Her father had taught her that change was something no one really controlled.
She thought she knew Big Knife so well. But she was learning quickly.
How could Big Knife use her like that? And Naomie, even though she wished her well with her Shoshone husband, she did not step aside for her either.