Just like that, it was over. Keeho waved Devlin away before she could say a word to Sarah. Sarah and her children would live at Keeho's chuka until the marriage ceremony. The two women would have plenty of time during the day to see each other, but their nights would be spent apart until they were married.

At first, Sarah worried about how Keeho would be around the children. She needn't have been concerned. Hannah, who normally acted standoffish around men, loved him, and he treated her as special as any granddaughter. Matt was impressed when Keeho showed him how to make arrows with barely a hint of a curved line.

Devlin left Keeho's iksita feeling proud of herself. She would have to figure out a way to pay Sarah back for nearly stopping her heart. She would make it fun and loving but definitely payback. As she pondered it, she remembered her brother warriors' taunts and whistles when she had pa.s.sed them earlier. She grinned a thoroughly wicked grin and headed off in the direction of where they had been.

For the most part, Sarah, Devlin, and the children lived in the clan village after Hannah and Matthew agreed to try it. By the time that winter was over, it was as if they had always been a family there. Sarah still had a lot of learning to do, and some days, she surprised herself by what she knew. The clan mothers had been right. When she needed the knowledge, it was there.

Devlin finally seemed at peace. She was living a lifelong dream. It was simple, but all she had ever wanted was to be a part of this community. She had always felt different, not merely because she was a warrior in a woman's body, but because of everything that meant. She had felt out of place in the white man's world but had never felt truly at home with her mother's clan. She had never thought that a family-children and a wife-would be available to her. Now all that had changed. All of their lives were changing and, as always, she worried.

"I've been looking for you, Miko," Sarah teased Devlin as she slipped her arms around her waist.

Devlin automatically wrapped her arms around Sarah and bent to kiss the side of her neck. "I see you've been talking to Grandfather."

"He told me that he asked you to become a member of the council and to take his place as the family's spokesperson." Kontonalah had gone into detail with Sarah, discussing the clan's system of government. Even though each family had a Miko, sometimes families would band together. They usually did this not for political gain or power, but because they all thought the same on important issues. In this way, they would only need one Miko. Devlin's grandfather had been Miko for a number of families for many years. He grew weary of the responsibility, but he had no sons. He admitted that his grandsons were not his first choice to train as successor. Now he had begun to put pressure on Devlin to stay with her people and fulfill her duty as a warrior.

"He said that your place is just as much with the clan as mine is. He told me that my status rises above even the most battle-savvy warriors because I'm married to a powerful medicine woman."

Sarah grinned. "Well, medicine woman is true. I can't say as powerful is anything close to the truth."

Sarah chuckled and Devlin smiled. She was pleased when Sarah was happy, and whether Sarah knew it or not, she looked like the happiest woman alive lately.

"Would it be so bad?" Sarah asked.

"It will mean truly being Chahta, sachu-kash. We can't live down there in that world," Devlin indicated the ranch with a nod, "then return to the clan village when it pleases us. We would have to choose."

"I know, tashka, but we have time to decide, right?"

Devlin nodded. She was fearful about forcing Sarah to choose one world over another, but that's what they had to do.

Sarah thought about Devlin's family and Oka kapa.s.sa's fears about Sarah and Devlin marrying. Oka kapa.s.sa worried that someday Sarah would pull Devlin away from her people.

I am Chahta...I have always been Chahta.

Those words popped into Sarah's mind at the strangest times. She had told Keeho that the words came to her on more than one occasion. Keeho smiled and told her that the answer would come to her once she was ready for it. She smiled to herself. Those were always the kinds of responses she received from her clan father.

Sarah kissed Devlin's chin, which was all she could reach at the moment. "I understand the importance of our decision, Dev. Perhaps more than you realize. I've made commitments and I don't take those promises lightly. I would never have entered training if I thought for one moment that the clan wouldn't be a part of our daily lives. I do think becoming Chahta has taught me one important thing."

"What?"

"You worry too much." Sarah laughed as Devlin found the most ticklish spot on her body. "We're living here now. Hank is doing fine with the ranch and we trust him. Why don't we trust that the spirits will show us the direction they want our lives to take?"

"But we have to think of the children, too. Matt wants to be a rancher, then there's Hannah." Devlin paused to look at Sarah and gently brushed the backs of her fingers against her cheek. "I just want our children to be as happy here as we are, Sa."

Sarah listened in amazement as Devlin sounded exactly as she used to, worrying about things that might never happen. Sarah smiled up at Devlin and indicated that she should turn around. Behind them was their village and its people, doing what they did every day to live their lives.

A group of young men battled fiercely against each other in toli, a sort of stickball game in which each contestant had two sticks with what appeared to be baskets at the end. The idea was to carry the ball to the opponent's goal, but anyone with the ball in his possession became fair game. Only the st.u.r.diest young men played because the sport could be rough. Kontonalah and the other elders would often tell the young men of the days when the game was used to solve disputes between other tribes. They would explain to the youngsters that in those days there were few wars, but many great games of toli.

Devlin smiled when she saw a tall, lanky boy in the middle of the fray. Matt had continued to grow his hair long, and he used a beaded band that Hannah made to keep the hair from his eyes. His bare chest was painted in the same bright colors as the other Chahta boys. He received the ball and fought to keep the other team from taking it, a huge grin fixed on his face.

Kontonalah and a few other Mikos acted as mediators. Many of the women had moved their ch.o.r.es near the playing field so they could complete their work, yet still place wagers on their sons or favorite players. Everyone watched as the young men ran up and down the hitoka, or ball field, laughing and playing.

Hannah was a short distance away. She giggled and jumped up and down as she alternated between cheering for her brother and playing with her friends in a circle under Tima and Oka kapa.s.sa's watchful eyes. Hannah looked as every other clan girl did in her deerskin dress and moccasins. In one hand, she still clung to Dolly. The toy looked as though it was past the point of repair, but she refused to part with it.

Devlin couldn't help but hold Sarah closer. They watched the happy faces of their children, family, and friends.

"I was afraid," Devlin admitted in a low voice. "Afraid that they would miss their home."

"Tashka." Sarah smiled lovingly at her mate. "I think this is home."

end.