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His eyes flicked back and forth for a moment, not really looking at anything, considering what she had suggested. He wanted to accept her offer but it was going to take them long enough, and they would have enough danger just getting down and through the city itself, let alone beyond to his family's place. Still... "We'll talk about it. I would love to get down there and bring them back."

Tisha leaned up and kissed his muzzle softly. "Maybe they're safe, Marco. We'll have to get things situated here first, and then we'll go for them. I promise. But for now, let's finish breakfast so we can get things situated for the tribe's arrival and going to the city tomorrow." She picked up her own utensils and resumed eating breakfast, knowing that it was a long day today, and tomorrow would be even longer.

Marco nodded, and looked across the table at Black Elk, who had been silent through the whole exchange. Marco's own fear for his loved ones and hope that his family was safe could be seen in his eyes and the way that his shoulders seemed taut. He sighed out and licked his lips, "Yes, let's." He took up his fork and finished off his meat, then ate his fruit in good order. Once he finished, he pushed back from the table and got up, taking his place setting and putting it in the sink. He dumped some of the remaining water from the bucket into the two sinks, washed his stuff in one, rinsed it in the other, and dried it.

Tisha finished her meal, eating her meat and fruit, then took her plate, bowl and utensils to the sink to wash them up. Black Elk followed a few moments later. "I think it would be a good idea for you two to get Marco's family up here after we get into town. I know everything you want, Tisha, so maybe you and Marco can go find his family, while Theron, Brielle and I cover getting the items needed," he said, giving his opinion, since he knew how much it would ease both of their minds.

Marco leaned on the counter while they washed their dishes up, "I don't want to abandon you guys to get things when you may need our help... but... thanks Black Elk... I mean, I would like to at least see if they are ok." He licked his lips and ran a hand through his hair, "It might take us awhile to get there, even on horseback." His ears twitched as he stood fully again, "We'll want to make sure we bring weapons and such if we'll be gone that long."

Tisha nodded, a smile hovering over her lips again. "Want me to show off my aim with the crossbow to your family, Marco?" she teased. She slipped her arms around him as she snuggled against his chest while Black Elk washed his dishes. Finally, the three of them were ready to get the day started. "Time to water the garden and horses, and I need a bucket of water up here to boil for fresh, clean water later on today."

Marco smiled as she snuggled against his chest, "Not exactly, just for protection. If you're going to come with me to get them then we're going to make sure we get there in one piece. My Brother was always a good shot, but he preferred the compound bow and long range rifle than anything closer... my sisters both got pistols for their 16th birthdays and knew how to use them as good as I did..." He licked his lips and shrugged, "They were girlie too though, you know..." He sighed, "Let's go..."

Tisha nodded as she looked up at Marco. "With my father at home, and my brother in the police force, they tended to not see the need for me to know how to use a gun much. Even when we were up here, I didn't need to know how to use one, since I was either with the women, with Black Elk, or with a hunting party, using my crossbow. But I excelled with the crossbow, so they knew I could take care of myself with it. But in the city, I didn't carry any weapons. It's been rather illegal in the city to have anything concealed." Her lips curved up for a moment, though, as she took his paw in her hands. She headed towards the door, tugging Marco with her.

Marco nodded and smiled as she tugged him toward the door. He went willingly with her and once they were out on the back porch he said, "Well, I've seen you shoot with the crossbow, but while they can hurt a man and even kill him, I might want you to carry a gun anyway. They're not that much different from the crossbow. Then again, if you aren't comfortable with it, I guess there's nothing to be done." He grinned and dropped her hand to pick up two buckets.

Tisha grinned and gave him a quick lick to his nose as he picked up two of the buckets. "Like I told you the first day we met, I want you to teach me to shoot a gun. And I would love to shoot as accurately with a gun as I do with the crossbow." Behind her, Black Elk exited the house and picked up the rest of the buckets, as the three of them headed towards the barn, and the stream beyond it. Tisha broke off just before them. "I'll let the horses out of the barn and into the corral, you two get the water for them. We need the troughs filled in the corral and their buckets in the barn. Then the garden gets watered and weeded."

She knew what she was doing, they could say that at least. He didn't get to answer her before she left them to go off and get the horses out. The two men walked over to the stream and filled up all four buckets, then carried them toward the barn to fill the buckets in the stalls. It took them two trips to do so, then they got more buckets, went to the corral and filled the troughs, which was another two trips. Then they got the buckets filled again and carried them over to the garden so that they could go about watering the seeds.

Tisha led the horses into the corral, having just opened the stall doors and grabbing both Brute's and Snowflake's halters, then walking the two of them out to the corral, knowing the other horses would follow them. After getting them settled into the pen, she gave them some loving pettings, then slipped to the garden and started pulling weeds before the two males arrived with the water for the seeds. She had gotten through about a quarter of the garden, and looked at them as they arrived. "I've gotten that area done," she said, pointing at the weed-free area. "Best spot to water is where there's no more weeds to steal the water from the seeds. Follow behind me while I weed, at least until you two catch up with me."

The guys nodded and each took a bucket and started on opposite sides of the garden, working their way up behind her. When they got there they paused a moment, and Marco playfully dipped his hand into the bucket and dribbled it on her back. He grinned at her and licked his lips, then announced that he would start at the other end and work his way back, and once they were done they could just finish the watering.

Tisha gave a low squeal as Marco dribbled the water on her back, the cool water helping to keep her from overheating as they worked in the garden. She nodded to Marco as he headed to the other side of the garden to start weeding, then looked at Black Elk and sent him to another part. With all three of them weeding now, they'd be able to finish quicker, and then water the rest of the garden before heading down to the stream to wash up before getting the meat for the celebration feast with the tribe that night.

The sun came up higher into the sky as the three of them worked. It was dull work for them but it passed quickly. Marco stripped off his shirt about halfway through the morning, and went on toiling without it until they finished the weeding, then he got up and went about watering his end of the garden. Black Elk watered his part, and both guys helped Tisha get hers watered. Once it was finished they put the buckets down near the side of the garden, and Marco wiped the back of his paw over his forehead.

Tisha smiled up at them, and she headed to the stream. "Let's get cleaned up, then go to the smokehouse to get the meat for the big dinner celebration. After you two are cleaned, you both need to get ready to meet with Black Elk's father while I prep the meat for dinner tonight." She grinned and a twinkle entered her eyes. She was ahead of the two males on the way to the stream and she stuck her tongue out as she broke into a gentle lope, looking over her shoulder at them. "Meet you at the stream!"

Marco shook his head, "That's the second time she's done that to me." He laughed and sighed, then broke out into a run of his own, not really intending to catch her, but running to get there anyway. Behind him, Black Elk ran gracefully, and within a few moments all three were at the stream. The boys stripped off to their underclothes and dove in, quickly washing up and getting all the dirt off. They didn't know exactly when the tribe would arrive, and they certainly wanted to be ready.

Tisha had stripped down to her bra and panties before getting into the water and swimming out some by the time the two males arrived. She swam over to Marco and lazily swam in circles around him as he washed up, occasionally splashing water up into his fur to help rinse the dirt out of it. Rising to her feet in front of him, she kissed him softly, the love she felt for him in her eyes. She hoped the chief would grant them the right to get married, and adopt Marco into the tribe.

He smiled when she came up to him at last, and his arms slipped around her waist. He leaned down and his lips pressed against hers, their noses touched and he licked her lips, then he looked her in the eye and whispered, "I love you." He winked at her, and then let her go again. Black Elk was turned the other way, intentionally not paying them any attention.

Tisha knew that Black Elk was aware of everything that was going on between her and Marco while they were playing in the stream. It was good to know that they had a premarital chaperone, even if it was her childhood friend. He could vouch to his father that nothing had happened between her and Marco, other than trying to keep her calm at night. Looking up at Marco, she whispered, "I love you too, Marco."

He smiled back at her and his hand stroked through her hair. He nodded, "We had better get back so that we'll be ready when the tribe gets here. I would hate to be half dressed." he grinned and stepped away from her, moving up onto the bank and shaking dry like a canine did. Black Elk climbed out a few moments later and ran his hands down his arms and legs to shed the extra water, "Agreed."

Tisha grinned as she walked out of the stream with them, pulling her hair over her shoulder and squeezing the excess water out of it. "Take your clothes up to the house and leave them in the kitchen. I'll wash them up later," she said to them as she grabbed her own dirty clothes from the ground and headed up to the house. First thing she did after getting up there was toss her clothes into the wash bin in the kitchen as she headed up to the bedroom to get into some regular clothes so she could get the meat for the celebration feast that night. She would change into the outfit for the celebration later when the women arrived.

The men followed her up to the house and dumped their own dirty clothes into the same wash bin, then headed upstairs. Marco waited outside the bedroom for her to change clothes, then when she finished he went in, stripped out of his underwear and put on a fresh pair, then pulled on the nicer clothing that he had laid out that morning. He slipped the jeans up his legs, and the grey and white shirt on his torso, then a new pair of socks before pulling on his boots again. He headed out of the room and to the bathroom just to look at himself in the mirror, then he nodded and waited in the hall for Black Elk to come out, he needed to see if there was anything particular he need to do.

Tisha went back down to the garden and got the buckets and took them to the stream and filled them with water, carrying two full buckets up to the house to fill the wash basin. While Marco and Black Elk got ready to meet the chief, she started washing the clothes. Getting them washed, she put them on hangers and hung them on the porch to dry, letting the air and sun dry them. She waited for Marco and Black Elk to come down so she could give Marco a kiss before the tribe showed up and she got the meat ready.

Once Black Elk came out of his room, Marco talked to him for a few moments regarding what he needed to do. It turned out that there wasn't much, except that he would need to speak with the chief himself. There was no particular ritual or tradition he had to follow right off the bat, and Black Elk proclaimed that he looked good. They headed down then, and went out onto the back porch to wait for the tribe to arrive. Black Elk said he would wait for them by the outer fence of the farm, and left the two of them alone.

As Marco and Black Elk came out of the house, Tisha slipped into Marco's arms, looking into his eyes with all the love she felt for him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she stretched up on her toes to kiss him. "Just remember, Black Elk's father makes good decisions that benefit the tribe and those that live with them, and we will be living with them over the summer time, maybe longer if they stay around during the winter. We've not spent winters with them, so we're not sure what they do for them. He's a very wise man, and he may want us to wait to make sure of our commitment to each other. But that is also why I will be talking to him after you and Black Elk do."

Marco nodded slowly as she kissed him. Once the warm, passionate kiss broke, he licked his lips, "I would imagine we might be living with them for a while. While I would like to stay here, they move, and safety is in numbers. We will have to see with time." He nuzzled her, "I will listen to him though, whatever his decision, even if I don't like it."

Tisha smiled and lay her head on his shoulder as they waited for the tribe to arrive. The moment between them was another perfect one, with just the birds singing overhead, the horses in the corral, the stream babbling just feet further away and the scent of grass and trees growing around them. Soon enough, the sound of more horses could be heard, snorts and neighs sounding from over the ridge before they saw the tribe coming down to them. Tisha straightened up some, but stayed close to Marco, her eyes going to the tribe. "Time for life to change for us again. No more just the three of us, but I bet we can find a way to have our private time over the days, weeks and months ahead."