Ahyoka slept beside Red Cardinal at some point she and ended up half across his chest with her arm lovingly wrapped around his neck. She nuzzled him softly in her sleep along with Koon and the pup who had shifted with her. Koon was now near his head then Ahyoka herself taking most of his torso and the pup curling up at Red Cardinal's feet. The fire was warm and kept the cold out making everything perfect as soft snores could be heard from Koon and the pup. Neither of them moved much all looking content to be with Red Cardinal as they where.

Pallaton smiled softly as he carried Spotted Deer back to the Village. He looked to her as they entered the Village with a loving smile on his face. " Your still the most beautiful girl I have every seen. " He said meaning it as he paused long enough to stare into her captivating eyes. " I have been in strange lands and seen strange things but you are still the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Your still the only one I want to ever come home to. I never told you thank you for waiting on me. I know it was hard but I promise to make it up to you. You are my Princess my Queen, my jewel and I hope that I'll be able to show you that everyday so you don't have to wonder ever where you stand with me again. " He said to her softly. He gently kissed her again under the pale moonlight. He then smiled as he carried her into Red Cardinal's tepee. He was caught off guard as he saw the seen before him and smiled softly as he looked to Spotted Deer.

"I think this tepee is already occupied Princes. Maybe I should carry you back to your own home and make a warm fire to help you warm up so you wont become sick again." He said softly as he looked at only her his eyes still full of love for her.

Spotted Deer smiled sweetly back at him, listening to his kind words. Her brown eyes stared at him with nothing but love that she had for him. Her heart was pounding in her chest, Pallaton really loved her as much as she loved him. "It was hard, but I never gave up hope that you would come back to me." she whispered and ran a finger along his jawline then gently down his neck. "The long wait was worth it." she said softly. Spotted Deer looked at him and caressed his cheek. "No matter where you go, I will always be here waiting for you." she promised and kissed him back, her arms now wrapped around his neck. When the kiss was broken, she smiled and was surprised by what she saw in Red Cardinal's tepee. It was sweet, those two really cared about each other.

"That sounds wonderful, only if you promise to stay." she whispered and ran her fingers through his hair. "However, I understand if you'd prefer not to." she added and giggled. Her mind drifted back to the river and she blushed, she was glad no one else was there to see that, people would start to get the wrong idea.

Pallaton smiled as he saw Spotted Deers blush. " As you wish Princess." He said choosing not to pick on her this time. She was to beautiful this night to really pick on. He carried her out of the tepee and to her own placing her on her bed. He then started to build a fire for them both. It took a little while to get the fire going because he had to constantly watch it and keep building it. But after a while he finally had it roaring for them to stay warm by. He walked to her bed and took a seat on it as he turned her to face the wall of her tepee so he could braid her hair. He had braided his own little sister's hair when he was younger because she constantly kept losing her braids in it. Her hair was so long that they had to keep it in braids so she didn't get it caught in something. He smiled as he thought about his little sister. She had died in the winter before he had met Spotted Deer. It had broke his mother's heart and many said that is what killed her. But he had been blessed with Ahyoka and she filled the parts of his heart that he had thought where lost. He braided Spotted Deers hair and tied it off with strips of cloth. " There now you need to stay by the fire to keep warm." He said as he smiled at her.

Spotted Deer sat on her bed and watched Pallaton work on making a fire. It was very cold outside, she hoped that all the animals were okay. When they had returned she saw no one outside which made her relax, at least her people were safe inside their tepees. Spotted Deer remained still so that he could braid her long hair, she was the woman with the longest hair here in the tribe. There were times when she wanted to cut her hair using a knife but she couldn't bring herself to cut even just an inch of it. When Pallaton had finished, she turned to look at him and smiled. "I will." she whispered and walked over to the little family shrine she had in her tepee and quietly said a quick prayer before sitting by the warm fire. She was silent for a while before deciding to speak, "Do you think Red Cardinal can convince Ahyoka to ride on a horse?" she asked quietly.

" I think that he can and I don't believe Ahyoka honestly fears horses. Her fear is steamed from the fear her parents had of losing her because of it. Remember how you treated Ahyoka when she got here and the others. You assumed she was evil just like the other white men. That is the same kind of fear I believe Ahyoka has for horses. It's not her own but after so many years of being told she is afraid she believes she is. I can't believe a girl that saved me and put herself in so much danger could be afraid of a horse. I never have and never will. But as she worked with me Love is the only thing that can fix and mend broken things. She used love on me and fixed me and made me into a better person. I believe that Red Cardinal can do that for Ahyoka. I believe that they are made for one another. They can learn from each other and grow. Besides they both love challenges and what is a great challenge than learning to love someone from a completely different background from you?" Pallation said as he looked over at her family shrine. " Thank you for taking in my people you didn't have to. I am very appreciative that you did. It's still hard for me to accept that my village is gone and my own parents. We should look for new lands soon and find us a place further inland away from the white settlers. We need grazing land for the horses any how. " He said as he looked to the fire.

Spotted Deer frowned and nodded, "I remember." she said sadly. "I agree, she doesn't look like the kind to fear horses. I think that Red Cardinal will be able to help her overcome such a silly fear." she said and laughed softly. "I do believe those two are meant for each other, I just hope they realize it soon enough. They will both accept the challenge. They already accepted the challenge of working to hunt together so this new challenge shouldn't be too difficult." Spotted Deer said and looked at Pallaton. "We are all family no matter what tribe name we fall under. We stick together." she said to him seriously. "I am sorry for your loss and we will look for new lands once winter is over. Our people would not be able to travel in such cold weather, they will die. For now we remain here. When spring comes we can search and move." she said to him wisely.

"That's the Princess I know." Pallaton said as he grinned at her trying not to laugh. He looked very impressed with Spotted Deer as his grin turned into a smile. " That's the girl I knew a along. Wise and sure of herself. You still have your mothers leadership skills in you. And that passion that I loved about you. We may have fought because of it but you drove me wild with it. I could never tell you that's why I loved you so. If you believed in something you stood up and fought until you won. It use to drive me crazy but at the same time I loved that you didn't let someone change your decision on something." He said as he looked like a proud parent. " I think rather they are ready or not they may not really get a choice. I have a feeling that the Elders are going to insist soon enough that we all become one tribe to unite the tribes and become one. I know that I plan on marrying you as I always have. You are my Spotted Deer and I will fight to the death to keep you. We may have changed some but I still love you. Just as I have a feeling that the reason Red Cardinal fought as he did wasn't just for the village. He is a great warrior and he loves his tribe however I get the feeling that there was more to it than that. Those men where not strangers. They had been on the ship that I and Ahyoka took to get here. All of them had stared strangely at Ahyoka like she was their prey. I didn't like it one bit. I'm wondering if a price hasn't been set on her head for refusing the Earl. I'm sure that means there is a hefty price for my head as well. I believe beside being the right thing to do Red Cardinal has grown more attached to Ahyoka than he had realized at first. It's funny how Rebeca grows on you isn't it. " He said as he turned and looked at Spotted Deer.

" You hated her at first but now your starting to understand why I care for her so. She isn't like the other white men. There are more like her in England however there are even more like the ones you have seen here. Rebeca would never be happy back there in those wicked lands. She is different and she is my sister. I help raise her and she helped raise me. Rebeca always said that family isn't just blood related family is those that touch your life in a way that you can't image a world without them. I gave her so much issues but she has always been like you and stuck with me and covered for me. She's the one who has beaten in the points my father, your father and even you tried to get into me. I promise to be a better man for you Spotted Deer. And your right as normal for you. We need to wait for spring to find better lands. We will need to find good lands for the horses and for crops. That way we can have plenty for the next winter. " He said as he smiled at her. " You always where the perfect princess just the way you where."

What Pallaton was saying had Spotted Deer very interested. She hardly blinked as she looked at him and listened in surprise at what he was saying about her. He had never told her this before. "I drive you wild?" she repeated, not quite understanding what he meant by that. She never liked it when people changed her choices for her, but she thought that was the way a princess had to behave wasn't it? Apparently it wasn't, she was allowed to do whatever she wanted but she still had to look after her people. Spotted Deer nodded, "Yes, I fear they will want to speed things up and I suppose it is understandable." she agreed and fell silent. He wanted to marry her?! She wasn't sure is she was ready for married life, she wasn't sure she'd be a good wife...she would probably let everyone down. These thoughts made her pout. "Y-yes...very funny." she said quietly with a nod of her head.

"Ahyoka is okaaay..." Spotted Deer said with a smirk and a roll of her beautiful eyes. "If she is not happy there then we should make sure she never goes back. Perhaps having her and Red Cardinal married first would be a wise Idea I think. Although if people want to kidnap her they will not care if she is married or not." Spotted Deer suggested with a shrug of her shoulders.

Pallaton's smile faded as he read Spotted Dears lovely eyes he could see the hesitation in her. He frowned as he thought about what he had said. " I'm sorry it was to forward of me. I believe I have some things to do. You should stay here and sleep Princess. And you are the princess so you can tell the elders what to do. However you should be careful to heed them on manners. You don't need me to tell you how to do your job. If you need me I'll be with the horses. " He said as he bowed deeply and respectfully to her. He waited for her to dismiss him remembering his place here.

Spotted Deer was surprised to hear him get up to leave. "W-why are you leaving?" she asked and sighed softly. "I understand. I guess I'll see you in the morning Pallaton. Goodnight." she said softly and stared at the fired he had made for her. Why was he leaving? Did she say something to upset him? She didn't mean to, but there was no point in telling him anything, if he wanted to leave she wasn't going to keep him here.

Pallaton bowed deeper still hearing her as he rose slowly. " Yes my princess" he said respectfully as he turned and left. He kept forgetting his place here and frowned as he thought about how Spotted Deer acted. He sighed as he walked to the fence where the horses where. He walked around for a while outside the village making a round. He surprised some of the men on duty by taking their place. By the time morning came he was relieved of duty. He walked to a clearing near the left side of the fence for the horses. He started working on his own Tepee. He hadn't really expected anyone to noticed. But to his surprise he felt pairs of eyes on him as he worked. It surprised him when he noticed people helping suddenly. He smiled and thanked them and in no time his own Tepee was done. It was furnished he was confused why the people had given him so much when they had so little. However none of them would take any of it back. He thanked them once again before entering his new home and laying down drifting of to sleep by the sound of the horses reminding him of his childhood.

Spotted Deer sighed once he was gone and even though she wanted to run off after him, she figured he may want to be alone right now. Frowning, she stood up and peaked out of her tepee and smiled tiredly seeing that the tribe seemed at peace. Without another thought, Spotted Deer walked over to her bed and lay under the warmth of the blanket. It took her a while to sleep but when she finally did sleep she slept for hours.

Ahyoka woke about mid day to her surprise. She was careful as she moved from Red Cardinals side not to wake him. She looked over at Koon making sure that she was alright. She checked on the fire and put some kenneling in to make sure that everyone stayed warmed. She left the pup there as she softly slept outside. The sun was out and everything was covered in white to her surprise. She noticed that the people where in their tepees. She walled through the quiet village as she tried to see if anyone needed her. To her surprise no one seemed to even notice she was out and about. She didn't see anyone sick or hear any coughing. She slowly made her way to the riverbank as she stared at the water. She looked up at the trees finding herself alone in the forest near the village. Everything so breath taking like this. The land looked magical as she smiled and knelt down staring at some frozen leaves of some local ferns. She looked up as she watched a doe slowly appear from the opposite side of the river bank. She watched it with wonder as it took a drink of water free from care.


This was something she couldn't do back home. She frowned a little as she thought about her home. Here she was a outsider among Pallaton's people and with no hopes of going home. She could go back to the settlement but she wouldn't be happy there. She didn't want to put her brother and anyone here endanger. She wondered if she would ever be accepted by the people. She was aware that the people where trying to be nice but she knew that they hadn't fully accepted her and probably never would. After all it was because of outsiders like her, the Spanish, and others that Pallaton and Spotted Deer's people where in the situation that they where. So she understand if the people didn't trust her. It made her frown a little though as she heard a soft rustling of feathers. She looked up as she saw a large white owl landing in a large tree across from her. The owl looked a little dazed as it stared at her. She had never seen something as beautiful. She hadn't seen such a bird before or the forest like this. It was magical with the snow.

The following morning, Spotted Deer got out of bed with a deep sigh. She pulled on her winter boots and made sure looked presentable before she stepped out of her tepee. Spotted Deer looked around at the reservation with frown. They really needed to move from here, but they couldn't move now. They had to wait until Spring and that wasn't coming for a while. She decided to check on Red Cardinal, hoping he was feeling a little better. When she arrived to his tepee, she noticed that he was still sleeping and that Ahyoka was gone. She wondered where she had gone, maybe she was with Pallaton? Maybe it was for the best, the two of them seemed to get along so well anyway. Spotted Deer focused her eyes on Red Cardinal who was sleeping peacefully. "I hope you are feeling better." she whispered.