The white man’s enthusiasm was infectious. Kiyiya stripped quickly and laid down with his Deheeya. He tucked Jordan under his chin and kissed his head. The feeling of warmth and contentment spread throughout his body and Kiyiya couldn’t help but smile. In his native tongue he whispered, “I love you Deheeya.”

"Hmm?" Jordan questioned, shifting slightly in the male's arms. "What did you say?"

(Should we skip to the morning?)

"Nothing Deheeya, rest we will talk more in the morning..."

(yes most definitely)

Jordan woke early the next morning, and looked around, puzzled for a minute. He didn't move for a bit, though, content in the male's arms. He got up a few minutes later, and headed outside. There, the white man ignored the strange looks, moving into the forest. He collected wood, and returned to Kiyiya's teepee. He slipped inside, and built the fire up, suprised at all the smoke. Hadn't the Indian's ever heard of a proper fireplace? There was only the hole in the top of the teepee.

Once it was done, he located the dried venison he'd been trying to sneak away last night, and began eating small bits. It wasn't spiced, like the white men did to their meant. It let you taste more of the deer's gaminess.

Kiyiya woke to the smell of smoke. SMOKE! Kiyiya shot up momentarily disoriented, he looked around his tepee to find Jordan eating. It seemed that the kascada had built up the fire, he nearly laughed at the way the fire had been built. “Peaittsuku, Deheeya, manishk qwiknat…”

Kiyiya stopped speaking when he realized that Jordan wasn’t understanding his words. “Forgive me, my English not very good in the peaittsuku…morning.” He sat up and reached for his pants. “Deheeya, when you build fire in a tepee, you must use only the wood of the long pine. It must be dry, very dry…” He knelt near Jordan and dug through the wood the soldier had gathered. He picked up a few different pieces and laid them on the ground.

“This darkest wood is from the pole pine. See the deep purple lines, they are from the wood beetle, it makes the wood brittle, but it will burn better.” He picked up a stick of a light hardwood., “This and some brown moss is what is used to make the smoke signals…if you are ever lost you can make a signal and a Nachia will find you.”

The male frowned, but paid attention to the Indian's words. Eventually, he nodded, touching the different woods. The grains all felt different, and maybe someday that would be what he needed to rely on.

"Did you sleep good, Kiyiya?" Jordan questioned. "I was wondering, if today, you could teach me some more Native's words?"

Kiyiya leaned over and kissed Jordan on the lips. “I slept very well, thank you Deheeya…” He smiled at the kachada’s desire to learn more of his culture. He took a piece of the venison, it did not taste very good, the brave decided that he would have to hunt for a deer later today and ask his mother and sister to cook and clean it for him.

“I would be happy to teach you! What would you like to learn to say?”

"Uhm...why not start with 'Hello, how are you?'" Jordan asked, blushing and looking away at the kiss. "So I can greet your people."

Kiyiya noticed the blush, ‘He is so beautiful!’ “Alright, when you greet someone you place your hand on your chest and say behne. Behne means that you are glad to see the other person and how they are. When you speak to the chief or my father, the shaman, you need to say pehnaho…and bow your head in greeting.” He spoke the native words slowly so that Jordan would be able to pronounce them correctly.

Jordan repeated the words, and grinned, looking back to the Indian. “Did I do alright?” He questioned, then urged, “Teach me more. If I’m to stay with you for a while, I need to know your customs, your ways, what you do for fun, too…Teach me?”

“You are doing very well Deeheeya.” Kiyiya found that smile infectious and smiled back at the white man. He could hear and smell the sounds of the village awakening. Today he would lead his braves on a hunt, this was a good ritual for Jordan to learn. He looked over the kascada and his clothing…he should be dressed as a brave.

“If you want to learn more of my people then you must live as one,” Kiyiya turned and dug through a pile of leather clothing behind him. He brought out a pair of leather pants and moccasins. “These are for you to wear Deeheeya…I will take you to the woods and you will learn how to walk like a Nachia. Here take them.” He handed the clothing to Jordan.

Jordan hesitated for a split second before accepting the clothes. He slipped from the fur, and turned his back to Kiyiya, changing quickly. Once he was dressed in the Indian clothes, he turned back to the man. “Learn to walk? I walk just fine…”

Kiyiya nodded at his companion. The clothing of a brave suited him, the great spirit had chosen a good mate for him. “You walk fine for a kascada…you will learn to walk as a Nachia, silent in the forest. You walk like bear, grumbing and not careful where it’s foot falls Soon I will teach you to walk like the fox…you will be able to hide from deer and be able to hunt. Come…” The brave opened the tepee’s flap and stepped out into the already bussing village.

Jordan hesitated, and wrinkled his nose. Like a bear? He sighed, and followed Kiyiya outside, blinking into the sunlight and looking around, interested. He remained quiet, however, waiting for the man to lead.

Kiyiya lead the soldier into the village. Many of the braves and women stopped their activities to look at the white man. The brave pointed to a specific tepee near the center. “Deeheeya, that teepee there is home for the chief and family…it has two red bands and a mountain cat. the symbols on the teepees tell you who lives there. My father the shaman is Kechina’di – White eagle. So his teepee has the mark of eagle feathers on it. Ask me anything you like Deeheeya, I will guide you.”

(That’s fine. See ya soon! ^u^ Sleep tight!)

Jordan glanced back at the teepee they’d left, ignoring the stares of the people. “So yours would be a howling wolf?” He asked slowly. “I don’t really know where to begin…”

Kiyiya smiled at the soldier’s statement, “Yes it is, I will add a stallion to tent…if you choose to stay longer.” The brave walked towards his family’s tent. It would be good for Jordan to meet with his father. The shaman might be able to enlighten Kiyiya on his relationship with Jordan.

“Deeheeya, come…It would be good for you to meet my father, the shaman.”

(Sorry I didn't update sooner)

(It's cool. This weekend may be the last time I'll get to reply for a while.)

The male was quiet then, nervous, though he nodded, and followed Kiyiya. "What exactly is a shaman?" he finally asked, glancing to the Indian quickly. "Some kind of healer?"

“He is our gateway to the spirits. My father has always had a connection to the Great Spirit. When I was a boy, he saw the death of the chief. Men and women of the village seek advice from him. He is also a great healer.” Kiyiya headed towards the tent with the white eagle. A young child burst through the tent flaps followed closely by a young woman. They noticed the pair and waved over the brave and the soldier.

“Kiyiya!” The young boy reached out and wrapped his arms around Kiyiya’s
neck. Speaking rapidly in his native tongue he gestured and looked at Jordan with large brown eyes.

“Deeheeya, this is my sister’s child Hen’kte, little fox.” Kiyiya gestured to the boy in his arms, then turned to the woman, “This is my sister, Abeytu, Green Leaf. She speaks a little of your language.”

Jordan smiled, and nodded to both. He glanced at Kiyiya, and back to Abeytu, placing his hand on his chest as the male had shown him and speaking, though his words were sloppy. "Hello, behne." H felt awkward, wearing the Indian's clothes, with his bare chest. In the white culture, most of people's skin had to remain covered. He glanced over nervously to Kiyiya, wondering if he'd done alright, despite how weak he felt in front of the woman.

(Hey, Artbabe?)

Kiyiya could tell that Jordan was nervous and after he handed back his nephew to his sister he put his hand on the soldier’s shoulder to give Deeheeya some comfort. Abeytu smiled at the kascada. “Behne Deeheeya. It seems that my brother is teaching you.”

“He is a good student! I brought him to see father is he awake?”

“Haa Kiyiya, bring in Deeheeya and eat as well.” The squaw turned to Jordan. “I know that my brother can not cook, but I will feed you two so you don’t…um…starve.” She joggled the baby to her hip and ducked back into the teepee.

Jordan had smiled and nodded to the female, and thanked her quietly. As she vanished inside, he glanced curiously to Kiyiya, anf fidgeted nervously. He was horrible with strangers. "Do we just go inside now?"

The brave nodded and led the way into the teepee. Inside there was an aromatic mist of meat and veg. Their was an older woman tending to the food. She had a small papoose strapped to her back; she smiled at the two as they entered.

She spoke rapidly in Ute and gestured over to an old man wrapped in furs by the fire. His eyes were slightly glazed over; focused only on the fire before him. Kiyiya turned to Jordan. “He is not on this plane…give me a moment to talk to him.”

He did not move when Kiyiya approached him. The Brave knelt beside his father and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Appe…Appe I have brought the white soldier to meet you.”

The old native turned to look at his youngest son. He placed his hands on Kiyiya’s face focusing his eyes. “Benne Dua’. The spirits were loud this morning…they spoke of our newest tribe member.” He turned and looked at Jordan. He gestured him forward with a wrinkled hand. “Come Deeheeya let me look upon the man that the spirits speak so loudly about.”

Jordan couldn't help but look sceptical as the male talked of Indian spirits. Until it dawned on him, he hadn't heard Kiyiya speak his name. Jordan frowned, confused. "I..." He shook his head, and stepped towards the elder, kneeling in front of him.

"What are the...uh..spirits...saying about me?"

The nearly blind old man leaned forward and looked into the face of the white man. A wide smile spread over the wrinkled flesh. “They speak of your future young one…you and my son…”

Kiyiya watched his father speak with Jordan. He longed to speak with his father himself. His dream last night was frustrating…the brave knew what it meant, but he had know idea where to go next. He sat next to the old man as he spoke to the white man.

“The spirits say you are destined to be here…your home calls you back to the wooden village…the future is not clear, but you Deeheeya have found what many never find. You run from it though fearing the opinion of others…” The older man grabbed Jordan’s hand and places it in Kiyiya’s. His eyes got very glazed again and his voice grainy. “The lives of both our people depend on you…that much we see…”

The old man blinked, and his eyes were suddenly clear again. He smiles at the two men then turns to his wife and reaches for a plate of food. He turns and completely ignores the Kiyiya and his companion. Their hands are still joined and Kiyiya does not let go of Jordan’s hand until his mother hands him dish wish he passes to the soldier.