Great bear sat on finely worked furs surrounded by the council elders. The smoke of aromatic herbs filled the air creating an almost ceremonial atmosphere. To one side storm spirit watched with an inscrable expression. Sit, friend Ryder, Great Bear said, pointing to a spot in front of him. Ryder obeyed, sensing that something important was about to happen.

The chief studied him in silence for a long moment as if weighing every word before speaking. You have saved my people, Great Bear began finally. 40 lives destined to end in the sand. Children who will now grow up. Elders who will see one more sunrise.

This is not a small thing, Ryder nodded, uncomfortable with the praise. Anyone would have done the same. No, interrupted one of the elders with a grave voice. Not anyone. Many would have passed by.

Others would have asked for payment first. You gave your last water to a dying baby without thinking twice. In my culture, Great Bear continued, a life debt is sacred. It cannot remain unpaid. The honor of my people demands that we offer you something of equal value to what you have given us.

The chief made a signal. The tent curtains opened and women began to enter. One by one, they formed a line in front of Ryder. They were young, all beautiful, dressed in their best traditional clothes. He counted quickly, 22 in total.

Ryder's heart began to beat faster, a sense of unease growing in his chest. These are the unmarried women of our tribe, Great Bear explained solemnly. Daughters, nieces, cousins, each of them has agreed to this honor. I offer them all to you. They will be your wives.

They will give you strong children. They will care for your home. Essentially, they are all yours. The silence that followed was deafening. Ryder looked at the women's faces.

Some seemed curious, others shy, some even smiled slightly, but one in particular caught his attention. She was tall with delicate features and eyes that shone with sharp intelligence. She wore a turquoise necklace that stood out against her bronzed skin. She did not smile. He looked at him with an intensity that made him feel as if she could see directly into his soul.

This is my daughter, Starry Sky, Great Bear said, noticing the direction of Ryder's gaze. The most valuable of all, she is also yours if you want her. Ryder felt as if the air had become heavier. How could he reject this without mortally offending the entire tribe? But how could he accept?

The very idea was absurd. 22 wives. It was unthinkable. Then he noticed Storm Spirits expression. The young warrior was rigid as stone.

His fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. His eyes were not on Ryder, but on Starry Sky. And in those eyes, there was something unmistakable. Love mixed with agony. Everything clicked into place instantly.

Storm Spirit loved Starry Sky. They had probably grown up together, sharing dreams of a common future. And now the honor of the tribe demanded that she be offered to a stranger. The attention in the tent was palpable. Some elders nodded in approval at the generosity of the offer.

Others watched Ryder with curiosity, awaiting his response. The women remained silent, but their eyes spoke volumes. Some seemed hopeful, others resigned. Great bear, writer began carefully, choosing each word as if walking on thin ice. This honor you offer me is greater than I can express.

The chief nodded, waiting. But I must be honest with you. In my culture, a man takes only one wife, and that choice must be based on something more than gratitude or duty. A murmur ran through the council. Some elders frowned.

Storm spirit leaned forward, his eyes now fixed on Ryder with renewed intensity. "Do you reject our gift?" asked one of the elders, his voice tinged with offense. Do you consider our daughters unworthy? No, that is not it at all.

Writer hurried to clarify. Each of these women would honor any man. He paused, searching for the right words. Starry Sky continued to look at him, her expression impossible to read. Did she have a voice in this decision?

Somehow, Ryder doubted it. I need time to think, he said finally. This is not a decision that can be taken lightly. Great Bear exchanged glances with the elders. There was a brief conversation in Apache, voices low but intense.

Finally, the chief nodded. We will give you until the sun rises tomorrow, he said. But you must understand, Ryder. This debt must be paid. If you do not accept our women, you must offer another way to settle the account.

Honor demands it. The women were dismissed, leaving the tent silently. Starry Sky was the last to leave. At the threshold, she stopped and looked back directly at Ryder. Her lips moved, forming silent words that only he could see.

Please, no, then she disappeared into the night. Ryder left the tent with his head spinning. Storm Spirit caught up with him outside, grabbing his arm hard enough to cause pain. If you touch her, the warrior whispered in perfect English, his voice like broken glass. If you take her from me, I swear by all the spirits.

I'm not going to do it, Ryder interrupted. But we need to talk, you and I. Now the two men looked at each other under the desert. Tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife, but also for the first time a tentative understanding. Something was about to change for everyone.

Ryder and Storm Spirit walked in silence to the edge of the camp, where the lights of the bonfires barely reached. The stars shone with an intensity that only the desert could offer. Thousands points of light in a velvet black sky. The night wind brought temporary relief from the day's heat. Your English is perfect, Ryder said finally, breaking the silence.

Missionaries, Storm Spirit replied with bitterness. Before they expelled us from our lands. They taught me their language, their customs. They thought they could make me forget who I am. He paused.

They couldn't. They sat on some rocks, keeping a prudent distance between them. "Storm Spirit looked toward the camp where a bonfire marked the location of Great Bear's tent." "Sterry Sky and I have been promised since childhood," the warrior said, his voice charged with contained emotion. "When she was 10 and I was 12, our families agreed to the union.

We have waited, preparing for the day when we would finally be one. Does she love you?" Ryder asked with every breath she takes. Storm Spirit replied without hesitation. As I love her, but now his voice broke, my uncle's honor is stronger than my heart.