Cedar Woman (105 page)

top
o
f
L
e
na’
s
.

“
S
p
o
tt
ed Eag
l
e H
o
rse has
c
o
n
v
i
n
c
e
d
m
e that
y
ou
a
re
i
n
l
ove a
n
d
s
h
o
u
l
d
b
e
we
d,
”
Re
v
a
i
n
to
n
ed
.
“
H
o
w
e
v
er
,
y
o
u
r
fa
t
h
e
r
i
s
n
o
t
h
e
re
t
o
g
i
v
e his
blessing.

“
I,
as
h
i
s
m
oth
er
and
el
d
e
r,
will
s
p
eak
in
h
i
s
b
ehalf
and
g
i
v
e
t
h
at bless
in
g
.”
S
h
e t
u
rn
e
d
to
L
en
a,
“
Y
o
u
r
p
a
rents
m
et
on
t
h
eir
we
d
d
i
n
g
day, a
n
d
t
h
eir
lo
v
e
is
a
b
ea
u
tif
u
l
t
h
ing
to
witness.
It
is
a
b
lessi
n
g
when
h
a
l
f sides
m
eet
and
are
jo
i
n
ed,
without
fa
m
ily c
en
sure, as
we
join
you
to
d
ay.”

Reva
s
t
e
p
p
e
d
b
ack
a
n
d
J
u
li
e
f
o
r
wa
r
d.

“
Lena,”
s
h
e
b
ega
n
,
“
yo
u
are not
y
et
1
8
,
a
nd
m
u
st
have a
par
e
n
t
’s
p
er
m
issi
o
n
to marry.
In
a
dd
i
ti
on
,
t
h
ere is no
t
i
m
e f
o
r a lice
n
se.
You
are lea
v
i
n
g t
o
m
o
rr
o
w
,
O
h
a
n
?
”

Le
n
a
n
o
d
d
e
d
,
h
er
h
e
a
rt
sin
k
i
n
g.

“
H
o
w
e
v
e
r
,
I
can
j
o
in
y
ou
t
on
i
ght
in
t
h
e
old
wa
y
,
a
n
d
y
ou
can legalize
your
marriage
a
fter
you
h
a
ve
obta
i
ned a
m
arriage
license.”

Lena
and
Mi
c
h
ael
look
e
d
at
each
o
t
her
with
joy.
Julie
approa
c
h
ed t
h
e
m
,
and
taking
a
str
i
p
of
r
ed
trade
clo
t
h,
joi
n
e
d
t
h
eir
h
an
d
s
toge
t
h
e
r
.

She
wal
k
ed
t
o
a
c
h
est
si
t
u
ated
at
the
p
eri
m
e
ter
of
the
ti
p
i,
op
e
n
e
d
t
h
e
li
d
,

a
n
d
with
d
rew a
star
q
u
ilt.
Ret
u
r
n
i
n
g
to
the
c
o
u
p
le,
s
h
e wra
pp
e
d
t
h
e
q
u
ilt around
t
h
e
m
.
She
return
e
d
to
the
c
hest
and
withdrew
t
w
o
eagle
plu
m
es and
a pipe.
Stand
i
ng before
the
couple,
s
h
e
h
a
nded
a plu
m
e
to
each.
M
ichael
tied
his
fea
t
her
to
Lena
’
s
hair
an
d
s
h
e,
i
n
turn
to
Michael’s. Le
n
a
t
u
r
n
ed to
J
u
lie.

“
Please,
c
o
u
l
d we go
o
u
tsi
d
e
?
I w
o
uld li
k
e
t
o be
m
arried
u
nd
e
r
t
h
e stars.” She turned to Mi
ch
ael, who s
m
iled his agree
m
ent.

The
e
v
en
i
ng
was
s
o
ft
a
n
d
f
r
a
g
rant.
Shi
mm
ering
m
oonl
i
ght
lent
a
m
ajestic
quality
to
the
nigh
t
.
Julie took a
deep breath,
enjoying
t
h
e fr
a
gr
a
n
ce of t
h
e
d
e
w-ti
p
p
e
d
g
r
ass.

It w
a
s
a
go
o
d
c
hoice
t
o
c
o
me
outs
i
de
, she
t
h
o
ug
h
t to
h
e
rself.

The s
m
all group
re-asse
m
b
l
e
d and the
cere
m
ony
c
o
m
m
enced.

Julie b
e
g
a
n
to
pray
i
n
t
h
e
la
n
gu
a
ge
o
f
T
h
e
P
eople: