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Nathanial Hutch breathed in the fresh spring April air, his hands clasping to his suspenders that held up his long, straight-legged trousers constructed from brown, canvas-like fabric. Wearing a used white pullover shirt, he sat down on his wicker rocking chair to put on his leather boots with flat soles. Seeing that it is early spring, he figured he'd get some early plowing while the temperature felt just right. He stepped off the porch of his farmhouse and went to the shed to grab the two-handed tilling hoe to start tilling up the soil he found fertile.

He lived in a one-story farmhouse with the wood fairly faded away by the elements. In his time here in 1835, he constructed this as well as two sheds, one for food, crops, and water storage, and the other for his tools and supplies. His food shed had an extra room he would use to smoke most of it, one of the many techniques he learned to preserve food for days to come while living in the wilderness. The fertile area he settled in was fairly wooded in what would soon be known as the Utah mountains, settled in the state we know today as Utah. Leafy, grass-covered earth settled beneath his feet; his home was almost nearly engulfed by the woods overshadowed by giant mountains in the distance. To the west of him lays a large lake Nathanial was lucky enough to claim for his use.

After creating an area large enough for grain and maize, Nathanial went back to the shed to exchange the tilling hoe for two metal buckets, attached them to each end of his bucket yoke, and marched towards the large lake soon to be known as Utah Lake that was about fifteen minutes away from his home. But before he did, he made sure to grab his 1835 Whitneyville rifle and made sure that all twenty bullets were loaded. In this part of the frontier, nothing should be left to chance.

Walking down a path he's used many times; the young pioneer sets his rifle down and starts gathering water. Ever since he found this small place of peaceful heaven, this lake was the first thing he hoped to find: a supply of fresh water for him to live off for as long as it could sustain him aside from some boiling of the water to disinfect it. The water felt cool against his bare-naked hands as Nathanial stood ankle-deep on the lakeshore. Whenever he wasn't hunting for elk and other animals for meat, he'd come to this lake to stand or sit beside it and cast his homemade rod to catch any unsuspecting fish. But today was just another day in routine as he would take both buckets to and from the lake to fill up all three water barrels he kept near the house. It was important for any settling pioneer not to just settle near a water supply, but to also use one's water sparingly. Nathanial would make the same trip back and forth for about roughly fifteen minutes for each barrel.

As he neared completion, Nathanial suddenly heard rustling from the brush near his shed. It would be easy to just brush it off as it may have been just a small animal like a rabbit, but why leave it to chance? Cocking the hammer back on his rifle, he aimed it at the brush and slowly edged toward the brush. He got to the brush and carefully used the rifle barrel to move the brush over to poke and prod to see what it was. What he found was something that seemed incomprehensible to any normal human being. It looked like a coyote, but its body seemed more human. Kneeling, he carefully nudged it to see if it would budge. When nothing happened, he took the time to investigate it. While it had the head, tail, ears, and legs of a normal coyote, its body, arms, and hands were shaped like that a human would have. Carefully turning it over, he could see that it was a female with supple breasts and raven black human hair; brushed and of medium length. Only its feet seemed like a blend of both, with most of the foot looking human and the soles up to the toes that of the animal. Normally, the fur was long and coarse and generally grizzled fluff above and whitish below, reddish on the legs, and bushy on the black-tipped tail on most of the coyotes he's seen. But this one seemed to have more black and gray shades, which means this must have been from the mountains.

The most curious thing about this strange coyote was what it was wearing. On its head was a feather headband that Nathanial remembered the Plains Indians as the Cheyenne wore and its chest and waist were covered with buckskin leather. What she wore was the off-the-shoulder-one-hide dress that he's seen most women of the Plains Indians. He did hear tales and legends from the natives he's encountered of shapeshifters, both animal forms and beast-man forms. This seemed to be of a beast-man form. Curious yet suspicious, he checked her wrists for a pulse. It was faint but he could feel it. She was alive but probably collapsed from heat exhaustion. Gingerly picking her up, he carried the coyote girl inside bridal style into the farmhouse and laid her down on his cotton-filled mattress of a bed covered with blankets of various colors.

Once bringing in his rifle from the outside, Nathanial placed it near the swinging door. He checked on his Vintage Vermont Castings Resolute Wood Stove, making sure it was still burning. Seeing that it was, the settler went to work on his guest. The first thing he did was fill his small personal wooden bucket with cool clean water from another large water barrel for personal use and got a clean rag. He went back to his room, knelt next to the coyote girl, and gently dabbed her head with it. He hoped that he could learn more about this strange critter. The Lord seemed to have heard him as she started to stir in her sleep. Nathanial saw her eyelids slowly open. The moment she came to her senses and saw the human next to her, the coyote girl yelped and scrambled up against the wall of the bed but exclaimed in pain and grabbed her ankle. Nathanial held up his hands to try to calm her down. When she started to talk, however, she spoke in a language that was not familiar to him. It sounded guttural in an animal sense but almost sounded like Hopis, a language he hasn't quite learned yet. But that wasn't the worst of it. Nathanial was mute!

Born as such, he had so little means of communicating with his family. That is until his family talked to some neighborly southern Cheyenne when he first lived in Colorado twenty-five years ago. Even so, Nathanial rarely ran into many who knew how to sign, much less know Indian sign language. Only Plains Indian tribes knew how to sign. All he can hope now was that this coyote girl knows of some sign language. It was still worth a try. Nathanial carefully held a closed fist in front of his neck, back to right; then swung it downwards and jutted his thumb at himself via wrist action. With his right hand, his thumb touching his index finger, he gestured to himself. He finished his sentence by spelling out his name using the Plains Sign Talk Alphabet. Putting it together, he said, "I am called Nathanial."

Nathanial this time indicated her before holding up five in his right hand with the palm outwards at shoulder height, fingers and thumb extended and separated. Pointing it upwards, he turned his hand slightly with his wrist two to three times. "You?" he asked her.

The coyote girl looked at him, still hunched in the corner but not quite understanding what he was doing. He tried again, slowly in hopes she might understand this time. The coyote humanoid tilted her head, confused, still uncertain about what to say. She spoke to him in that guttural language he couldn't quite understand. He tilted his head up, exposing his throat to her, and tapped it. Nathanial shook his head to let her know that he couldn't speak. Both stayed silent, feeling awkward about one not being able to connect with the other. Thinking of a better solution, he decided to wing it and do the best he could to communicate with her.

He held a hand out to his unexpected guest, gesturing for her to wait a moment. He returned to the kitchen with two biscuits from the bread box. Nathanial offered them to the coyote girl. She looked at them suspiciously, leaned forward, and sniffed them. The mute pioneer steadied himself, slightly nervous but patiently waiting for her reaction. She snatched them from his hand and nibbled a piece of a biscuit. Satisfied with the taste, she scarfed them both down. Smiling a little, Nathanial did his best to offer her more food by pointing to her and making another gesture as if eating invisible food. She nodded and he went back into the kitchen to make some lunch for them both.

The coyote girl stayed in bed, content but still wary of this human. If she hadn't twisted her ankle, she'd be back with her tribe about now. Still, she was surprised that this one couldn't speak at all. Curious, she decided to stay for now. It isn't like she was going to be able to go anywhere with an injured ankle. For now, she'll just play this by ear.

*****

After half an hour of slaving away, Nathanial came out with two platters of Planked Whitefish for his guest and himself. At least he hoped she liked whitefish. Some of the other recipes he learned mostly consisted of animals that might offend her. Then again, she might not object if Nathanial made Buffalo Stew. He was certain wolves love buffalo either way. He handed the strange coyote girl her dinner, taking a seat next to her with one of the wicker chairs he had in the kitchen. She carefully took the plate from him after taking a good sniff at it. He kept another fork and knife in case she wanted to learn, figuring she'd rather eat with her hands. The coyote girl took the filet in hand and took a little nibble out of the fish filet. Seeing that it was satisfactory to taste, she wolfed it down in a few gulps and licked her muzzle. Smiling, Nathanial cuts up his and eats with quiet satisfaction.

The strange creature watched how he ate with curiosity. She never saw anyone eat in such a manner, much less use such devices to eat food. Nathanial finished his dinner and took their dishes back to the kitchen to wash them up. As he washed up, he thought of what he could do to make communication better between the two of them. It would be awkward and difficult for her to understand his good intentions. He decided to teach her how to sign starting tomorrow. He figured he could start small with one word and gesture at a time, then teach her how to put them together in a sentence. "This is going to be tough," he thought to himself. He only hoped the coyote humanoid would be able to understand him.

Meanwhile, the coyote was still on the bed wondering what the humans' intentions were. So far he's fed her and bandaged her ankle, so he must mean well right? The fish the human served her was delectable, much better than how her people usually ate their fish. How she planned to thank him for it she didn't know. Once her ankle is healed, she'll find a way to show her gratitude to him. That is, of course, if he is what he appears to be. She had seen some accounts of his kind being violent to even their kind. How could something be known for cruel acts and yet also be so kind and caring? She saw him come back to her, looking awkward about what to say.

Nathanial stood at the doorframe, pondering what to say to her. He was heading to bed and he wanted to let the coyote girl know in case she needed him. He signed her in saying "I'm going to sleep. I'm sleeping downstairs," in the best way that he could for her to understand. Carefully watching his movements, the female coyote understood what he was saying and nodded. Nathanial exhaled with relief, a happy smile on his face. He bid her good night with a little wave and went to the couch in the living room not too far from the room while leaving the bedroom door open just enough for her to call for him. With a pillow propped up and a buffalo skin blanket on top of him, the mute settler blew out the lit oil lamp near him and went to sleep. The coyote woman curled up on his bed, letting the soft mattress and wool blanket calm her to sleep. All was quiet throughout the house save for the chirping crickets singing their cheerful song of the night.

*****

The golden sun rose over a pink horizon, pushing the night sky up and away for another day. The coyote woman's ears twitched as they picked up noise coming from outside the room. Stirring from her slumber, she stretched her arms over her head. A yawn found its way out of her canine maws as they opened wide and snapped shut. A small scent of something delicious reached her coal-black nose, tickling her olfactory senses. It smelled like...eggs. She sniffed again. She detected a hint of meat and more of that strange bread he gave her yesterday. She perked up, her ears swiveling in the direction of approaching footsteps, the smell getting stronger the closer it got.

Nathanial peeked through the doorway to see if his guest was awake and was glad to see that she was. He stepped into the room with a plate of scrambled eggs, three sausages made from wild pig, and two biscuits complete with a glass of water. He placed the glass down on the dresser drawer next to the bed first before giving her the plate of food as she willingly took it from him. She scarfed down her meal and handed it back to Nathanial. After taking care of the dishes, Nathanial came back and checked on her ankle. Feeling around and judging by the coyote girl's reaction, it still needed time to heal. For now, continuous bedrest and icing of the ankle will be the best course of action for a period. Hopefully, she'd understand.

Now that breakfast was over, it was time to break the communication barrier. He went to grab a few items around the house and came back to sit on the bed next to her. They consisted of some rope, a pair of tweezers, his buckskin winter coat, one of his books, a fur blanket, and his winter gloves. Curious, the animal-like being tilted her head in curiosity. Starting first with the rope, Nathanial held up the rope to her, then held up his hands as if signing the word 'after', and with the tip of his right index finger made a spiral curve-by-wrist action while drawing with the right hand to the rear.

The coyote girl tilted her head in confusion. The human was doing the same thing as he was doing yesterday. She was starting to get the hint that he was trying to communicate with her so she had him do it again with a polite gesture. So Nathanial did it again, a little slower for her so that she could understand and try to mimic his motions. Now fully understanding what he was implying, she mimicked his actions the best that she could. Being patient with her, he helped her make sure she got it right. After a few more tries, the coyote was able to sign it correctly. He gave her an approving nod, and she got a lift in her spirits as a wide smile formed on her canine face. The mute pioneer then tried one of the books by holding both hands in front of his body, side by side with palms up and looking down at them as if reading. Just for added measure, he repeated the gesture but opened his hands as if opening a book. The coyote, now getting the hang of this, quickly understood what to do.

And so it became a daily routine for the human and human-like animal. After learning how to sign all possible objects he could find, Nathanial moved on to sign the alphabet and the use of numbers. Looking back on it, he remembered how tough it was for him to learn how to sign. He only hoped he would do well teaching it as well as he was a learner. As far as he was concerned, he felt like he was doing a fairly good job with it. His worries were relieved when he saw his houseguest sign her name and introduce herself as Issa.

Issa felt relieved being able to finally communicate with the human just as he was. She learned of Nathanial's story as he kept her company in between his farmwork. Since being born mute, his parents were at a loss not knowing how to communicate with their son. It wasn't until he was five that they were presented with an opportunity. A small clan of Cheyenne was passing through and made camp outside of their settlement. His parents had heard on several occasions that the Cheyenne knew how to sign and respectfully asked if they could teach their young Nathanial the technique. They seemed apprehensive, wanting to refuse to help a white settler. Fortunately, there was one who was compassionate enough to teach him, on the account they were one of the few Plains Indian tribes that were kind and respectful to white settlers. After a stern talk from his mother to be mindful of his manners and to be respectful, Nathanial was taken under the wing of the Cheyenne warrior. Every day, Nathanial learned how to speak with his hands as he showed his mother and father how to as well.

Being mute, of course, wasn't without other repercussions. There were children at the town schoolhouse he attended at the time that teased him for being mute. They pushed him so far that he lashed out at them during recess. As expected, he got in trouble for it and was sent home despite it being the fault of the bullies pushing him to that point. He then learned from his father that day an important lesson. A wise man knows when to do the right thing, but a wiser man knows when to show restraint. His old man was still proud of him for standing up for himself and will talk with his teacher, but Nathanial will have to apologize to his teacher for making a scene. And so he did, never forgetting to be the better man.

It wasn't until Nathanial was about 12 years old that his father was offered an opportunity to go back east to the city. Nathanial was glad to get away from those that teased him but would miss his time among the Cheyenne. Unfortunately, his parents took a risk by passing through Sioux territory. They were traveling halfway through South Dakota when their wagon was attacked by a Sioux raiding party. Left for dead and with no parents, Nathanial didn't know what to do now. He trudged for miles on foot back the way they came, hoping he'd make it back to town. Instead, he found himself before a small encampment of the Cheyenne. Half dead and half exhausted, he collapsed just as he was spotted. After coming to, the chief allowed him to stay until Nathanial has come of age for him to strike out on his own. His time with the Cheyenne was spent learning their ways as he improved his skills in sign. He mostly stayed with the family of the warrior who first taught him Indian Sign Language. All that he learned from hunting to gathering he observed and partook in.

As he became close to becoming a man, Nathanial learned the Cheyenne way of trading with passing settlers. He knew the time to move on was close at hand and now was the time to prepare for that moment. Taking only what he needed to survive, he said goodbye to his adoptive tribe and set out on his way at the age of 18 to where he now resides in Utah.

When Nathanial asked Issa about her story, hers was quite different from his but just as relatable. Her tribe was a small but proud tribe known as the Coyotylan. They have been secretly around since the earliest of the southwestern tribes came to be, although their origins are unknown to them. They have often been given the name of "skinwalkers" and were either revered or feared depending on which human tribe they've come across, even though their culture was a little like her people. The role she was given to her was a gatherer. She decided one day to try for the role of the hunter, to show her tribe that she could be just as good in the role. It was how she came across Nathanial. Ambitious, she snuck out early in the morning to seek out what prey she could find. She strayed too far and took a tumble down a steep hill, causing her to injure her ankle. It was by the goodwill of the Great Spirit that she was near Nathanial's home when she passed out.

Reaching the month of May, Issa felt her ankle was getting better and decided to test it out. Swinging her feet over the bed, she gingerly laid pressure on her injured foot onto the wooden floor. She winced as she felt a little smidge of pain but still eased herself up from the bed while using the frame as support. Carefully, the Coyotylan walked one small step at a time to and fro across the room. She nearly stumbled as she was walking back to the bed. She was bedridden for quite some time after all. She was getting restless having to be in bed and wanted out of bed so badly. Stretching out her foot, she rolled her foot a few more times before trying again. Once more, she paced across the room. This time, her foot felt less painful walking heel to toe. She felt great gratification that her foot was almost normal. Satisfied, she went to look for Nathanial to show him.

Nathanial was sitting on the porch cleaning his rifle. He couldn't remember the last time he went hunting as he came to enjoy the calm splendors of fishing. Hopefully, with any luck, he might get some deer meat for dinner tonight. He wondered if he should check on Issa and see how her ankle was. It felt like a good enough time for her to try walking around. And besides, it would be nice if not interesting to know what it would be like to hunt with someone of her species. "Well, why not? I could use a break anyway," he thought to himself. Standing up, he stretched himself out and turned to see Issa herself standing at the doorway.

"Nice to see you moving out and about," he signed smiling. Things seemed to be looking up after all.

"I was tired of being bedridden," she signed back. "Plus I wanted to see what you were up to."

"I still got to fill up the water barrels. And I was about to go hunting a little later today if you wanted to join me."

"What do you plan to hunt today?"

"Buffalo. They're supposed to come through this way this time of year."

"Can I help?"

_ _

Nathanial remembered her saying she wanted to be a hunter in her tribe, which inevitably led to how she ended up in his care, which worried him. "Is your ankle good enough to make the trip?"

Issa gave him an affirmative nod as she puffed up her chest. "It's time I got back into action." She paused and deflated when she realized something. "If only I had my bow and quiver," she said feeling disappointed.

Nathanial realized something and asked her to wait a moment. He went back into the house, leaving Issa confused and curious. He came back a few minutes later with a leather belt with a hunting knife, bow, and a buffalo-skinned quiver of arrows. "Would these be it?" he asked her.

Issa smiled as her tail wagged happily. "I was worried that I lost them!"

"I saw they were yours just as I was about to bring you inside that day. I kept them safe until you felt healed enough to have them." He handed her the freshly polished bow and arrows to her. "Shall we go then?"

"Yes, let's," Issa said happily. With weapons in hand, both the human and Coyotylan set off on his horses across the flat plateau. They came across a mountainous range and that's when they could both hear a faint rumbling. It sounded like it was coming over a large ridge. Hopping off their horses, they crawled up to the top of the ridge and peeked over to see that it was indeed a large herd of American Bison rumbling across the land. A magnificent site indeed. Finding their quarry, Issa took flight after them while Nathanial followed behind her on horseback.

The coyote woman was bounding alongside the herd, yelping and howling as she scanned for the buffalo of her choosing just the same as the human. He allowed her to make the first kill as she went for a young mature bull. Taking her time with great care, she let loose three arrows into the heart. Panting heavily, the bison trotted a few more steps before collapsing heavily.

Now it was Nathanial's turn. Kicking with the stirrups, he made the horse go into a full gallop. He readied his rifle and chose an older-looking bison trailing behind the herd. Aiming at the beast, he fired five shots at its liver. It started to bleed heavily and almost collapsed immediately. Satisfied, he and Issa went to work on cleaning their kill as the herd continued without their fellow brethren. They took all the essential parts from their kills, lungs, heart, kidneys, and liver. Placing them in the buckskin sack that Nathanial had attached to his saddle, they made their way back as they planned to come back tomorrow for the rest.

Traveling on the way back, both man and beast-woman enjoyed the summer breeze and the scenery that became enhanced by it. On the way back, Nathanial asked Issa more about her tribe. More so about her people and how their way of life came to be. As she explained it, her people were among the first of the Great Spirit's creations granted to the great Coyote. Under his guidance and leadership, they helped the humans to create, to teach them, and help them understand the dangers of negative behaviors like greed, recklessness, and arrogance. To those willing to learn, the Coyotylans were revered while the latter feared and rebuked. They never lived among the humans but kept their distance and remained alert should they ever need her people again. Her tribe never interacted with them for years until Issa met Nathanial.

"If that's so, how did you not know how to sign?" Nathanial asked. It seemed rather odd that Issa didn't know how to do so if her people were taught how to originally.

Issa gave him a sheepishly embarrassed look at the mute human, her ears lowered in submission. "I...I never sought the means to. I mean, seeing that we never met another human nor had any need to interact with them."

Nathanial thinned his lips in understanding. He could understand somewhat why he only heard stories about Coyote but never about his children. "I see. But I am glad of one thing."

_ _

The Coyotylan's head turned to look at him. "And what's that?"

_ _

Nathanial offered her a cheery smile. "That I got to meet you."

Her maw curved up into what Nathanial took as a smile. "And I'm thankful to have met you as well. I do wish to thank you for your kindness."

After hearing about Issa's people, Nathanial was now curious about seeing if these Coyotylans were still around. If Issa was proof of such a thing, he would love to see more. Human curiosity is innate, after all. It was worth a shot asking her anyway. "Do you...do you think I could maybe...I could see them. Your people I mean," he managed to ask her.

Issa perked up with curious intrigue. "My people?' She thought about it for a moment. "I think I trust you enough to show you, but I don't think the tribe would be so kind."

A little disheartened, Nathanial nodded. He did understand why but he still wished that he could. They continued their way home but just as they reached the property line, they noticed something going on near his cabin. Fearing that it might be homestead raiders, Nathanial rearmed his rifle and had Issa make ready with her weapon. They got off the horses and used the brush as cover, creeping closer to the home. Signaling her to hold, Nathanial peeked over to see what they were up against. It was a group of Coyotylans just like Issa. Whether they were of her tribe he wasn't certain, and he sure hoped they were from her tribe. They looked mostly male with various warpaint. He mentioned it to her and when she peeked to see, she recognized one of them and immediately ran to the one with the spear, four feathers attached to his ear, and blue and yellow warpaint. Who he was to her he didn't have a chance to hear enough.

Because before he could react, he was immediately grabbed by two other Coyotylans by each arm and dragged out of the brush after taking his weapon away. They were all talking in Coyotylan all at once he couldn't follow most of it. The Coyotylan Issa was talking with a hatchet to his throat almost immediately as he questioned him. "-Who are you? What have you been doing to my sister, human? - ", he demanded.

Nathanial was about to explain his situation, but fortunately, Issa stepped in just in time. "-Please, brother. Don't. He's not an enemy-." She then turned to Nathanial. "This is my brother, Kai," she signed. Placing a hand on her brother's armed hand, she pleaded with him to spare him, and that all can be explained. Reluctantly, Kai removed his hatchet from the human's throat. Leaving a few of the warriors outside, he and the rest followed his sister and the human inside his home.

Nathanial offered food to his guests and they were served some cornbread and eggs as an impromptu supper. As they ate, Issa and Nathanial told the warrior Coyotylan all that happened with her acting as translator. Caught up to speed, Kai relaxed and thanked Nathanial for aiding his sister. When asked if the human could see their tribe though, Kai seemed rather adamant. Their tribe was very keen on staying out of sight, to keep their existence a secret from humans. Especially with more and more humans coming into their lands. Nathanial tried to reason with him, but Kai was very reluctant. He only set out to find his sister and bring her back to the tribe. It wasn't until Issa pulled him aside and argued with him that he finally gave in. And so it was settled, tomorrow Nathanial was off to see an actual Coyotylan tribe.

Early the next morning, Nathanial gathered what he needed for the trip to Issa's tribe and together they set out on their way to the Coyotylan tribe. The journey was a two-hour long trip as they traveled through forest and over many hills until they made it to a ravine through the mountains and finally reached the sight of buffalo skin-covered teepees making up about thirty-five people residing within a vast chasm. It wasn't long until they were spotted by the tribe and all immediately greeted them with great rejoicing, fearing that they may have lost her. When they saw the sight of the human, their reaction was mostly shock and apprehension. Nathanial felt that the Cheyenne were more receptive to him than these people. Placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, Issa led him to the chief Coyotylan accompanied by Kai.

There standing just outside of his teepee, the chief Coyotylan looked like a grizzled veteran who's made it through many seasons adorned with a headdress, one leather armband on each muscled furred arm, loincloth, and bone chest plate necklace. His fur was black save for white streaks along his cheekbones and a white patch on his chest looking like an upside-down arrowhead. He greeted Kai and welcomed Issa back, although he was disappointed that she snuck away without permission. He, of course, questioned why in all of creation was a human brought to the tribe. He listens to Issa's story, of how she met him, how he was mute and learned sign language from another human native tribe, everything. Nathanial apologized for any offenses, explaining that he only wished to see the tribe. He thanked the mute human for returning Issa to her people, but respectfully told him he was to return to his home to preserve the hidden existence of the Coyotylans. Nathanial understood, but deep in his heart wished he could stick around to experience Coyotylan life. Sensing his disappointment, the chief showed his compassion by allowing him to stay among the coyote tribe for the entire day and stay for the celebratory return of their lost sister. Nathanial gratefully accepted and thanked the chief.

And so it was upon Issa to show her new human compatriot a fun time starting with one of her childhood games known as chunkey. It was played by rolling disc-shaped stones across the ground and throwing spears at them and making the spear land as close to the stopped stone as possible. It was played to practice their throwing and aiming skills. After a few rounds, Nathanial learned to perfect his archery skills with Issa helping him. He was doing well, except the arrows would always drift to the left of the bullseye. This frustrated Nathanial because he couldn't understand why this was so. Issa assisted him, adjusting his stance and his aim, which helped him all the better.

The rest of the day Nathanial helped around with any preparations for the celebration of Issa's return. It wasn't long until Nathanial ran into Issa's parents, which made him nervous because he didn't know what they would think of him. He never imagined that they were welcoming and grateful for his part in Issa's return. Her mother handled things at home while her father was one of the many tribal warriors until Kai became of age to become one himself. When asked about his skills as a warrior, Nathanial was more than happy to show them as he had Kai happily oblige to a friendly sparring session. In the end, Nathanial proved that he could hold his own but could use some improvement. On the upside, he did manage to earn a bit of Kai's respect for him.

Preparations completed and the moon shining bright, all gathered around the large bonfire near the chief's teepee as he sat outside of it. Nathanial sat along with Issa and her family just near the chief. The chief stood before everyone and made a speech about how the Great Spirit delivered Issa back to them after they thought they had lost her. He also gave thanks to Nathanial who cared for her when she was injured. Although he is to return to his home after tonight, Nathanial will leave as an honorary member of the tribe. The Coyotylan chief had the human step forth and placed a tribal necklace made of bone and exquisite beads around his neck and had him partake in the ceremonial smoking of the peace pipe. Once the ceremonial necessities were completed, the rest of the night was full of festive dancing and eating of buffalo meat, maize, succotash, cornmeal pudding, and more. Nathanial was nervous about joining the circle dance until Issa persuaded him by pulling him into joining her. Getting a feel of the rhythm, they danced all through the night as their shadows joined with the others against the glow of the teepees.

Needing a break from the festivities, Nathanial and Issa found a ledge overlooking the tribe and sat under the moonlight. It was a favorite place of Issa's to come and ponder whatever was on her mind. Plus the cool summer air was refreshing where they were at. "So have you been having fun?" Issa asked him.

Nathanial smiled at her. "I have. I thank you for making this possible."

She smiled back at him. "I should hope so. Thank you for taking care of me and teaching me how to sign." There was a momentary silence, and then she shuffled a little closer to him, hesitating to ask him, "Are you...happy here?"

Nathanial beamed. "Why yes." His happiness soured when he almost forgot about something. "I only wish I didn't have to leave tomorrow."

Issa's heart saddened a little, her ears lowering flat against her head. "Oh. I am sorry." She almost forgot that he was never to return here again. "I wish you could stay. You could be happy here."

"I know. I would if I could, but I don't think it would be that easy. And besides, I still have my crops and animals to tend to." He placed a hand on top of hers, feeling a warmness in his heart. "At the very most, I'm awfully glad I got to meet you, Issa."

Issa's ears pricked up feeling his touch, her heart giving a little flutter. "And I you, Nathanial." She intertwined her hand with his, the compassion and love flowing between them. Issa rested her head into the crook of his neck. "I shall miss you terribly."

Nathanial laid his head upon her coyote head. "And I will miss you too." The two of them held each other a little while longer, the pale moon the only witness to their new love.

It is now the second week of August, the crops were fully developed and harvested, and Nathanial was about to make early preparations for produce for the fall. Using a portion of the money he earned from selling at the market in town, he began tilling the land so that he could begin anew with strawberries, lettuce, carrots, and collard greens. It's been three to four months since he left the Coyotylan tribe. Three to four months since he last saw Issa. He felt regretful for not pleading with the chief to stay with the tribe. But it was on his terms and Nathanial had to respect the chief's decision. On the bright side, he was given the honor of an honorary friend of the tribe. He wished he would be able to go back to see them, to see her. But alas, his home, crops, and livestock were the driving factors of why he couldn't stay. He never forgot about Issa, and every day he thought of the day he would meet her again.

He was about to make a third row for his field when he looked up to see someone or something in the distance coming out of the trees. It looked like a person from where he was standing. As it continued walking toward him, it was becoming more and more clear to him. Could it be? Nathanial placed a hand over his eyes to block out the bright sunlight and squinted. Getting closer, he could make it out more clearly than before. Yes! It was her! It was Issa. His spirits were immediately lifted with joy. The mute human pulled hard on the reins of his horse, and let the plow fall to the ground as he ran towards her.

He stopped about five feet from her as did she. She looked just the same as he last saw her. She looked happy to see him as well, her tail wagging and a big smile on her face. "Hello again, Nathanial," she signed to him.

"Issa! It's great to see you again," Nathanial signed excitedly. Issa grinned. It made her heart swell with goodness to see him so happy to see her. She hoped for him to be, especially for what she got to tell him. "You came back! What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you. I'm sorry I didn't sooner, but my people wouldn't allow me up until recently. A special ceremony is taking place later tonight."

"What kind of ceremony?"

"It's the Twin Hearts of the Autumn Moon ceremony. It's our annual paring of mates and I would love for you to be there."

Nathanial tilted his head in curiosity. "A mating ceremony?"

"Indeed yes. I've found myself a mate, that is if he accepts me."

Nathanial's heart sank a little, thinking that it was probably some male in her tribe. "Oh? Someone you know?"

"Indeed, he is someone who has cared for me. Shared his lifestyle with me and healed me when I was wounded."

Nathanial wondered what she meant, but suddenly realized she meant him. He gestured to himself in questioning her about him. She nodded yes to him. Blinking in surprise, he was ironically speechless about what to say to such a proposal. Hesitant, he asks her "Why me?"

Issa shuffled closer to him, rubbing her arm. "I've...become quite fond of you. The day when you had me hunt with you showed me that you didn't care if I was a woman. You just allowed me to hunt with you as hunters should. Why weren't afraid of me when you first found me?"

Nathanial scratched the back of his head. "I don't know. I've only heard stories and legends about your kind from the Cheyenne. Seeing you for the first time made me curious about your kind. I was just worried about how you would see me."

"And how do you see me?"

"I see you as a person. Someone with ears, a tail, and fur but someone that isn't taken aback by me being mute. You're patient, you're understanding, and..." Nathanial twiddled his fingers nervously as he tried to admit his feelings. "I enjoy your company. I didn't feel so alone. And...since that day when I left the Coyotylan tribe, I've missed being with you and,..." He was starting to get a little emotional now. "I never thought I'd get to see you again. I missed you and...I want to be with you. I know I don't have much to offer you. Only a farm and a handful of animals. But I do vow to love you for the rest of your life." He wanted to say more, but he felt like it would be too much to just put it into words and rather show the amount of passion he had in his heart for her. He took her hand into both of his hands and kissed it with such longing, he resisted long enough until his dam of passion completely busted open and kissed her full on the lips. Issa was taken by surprise by Nathanial's kiss before submitting to it. She rested a hand on the nape of the human's neck, irresistibly his and his alone. They stayed in the moment of their confessed love, never letting go of each other for a good amount of time until they finally broke the kiss and rested their foreheads against each other.

Later that night under a harvest moon, the entire Coyotylan tribe gathered as a select few females including Issa dressed in wedding garb which was an all-white dress and moccasins while the males of their choice wore traditional attire consisting of black pants, moccasins, and red shirt adorned with ribbons. The female Coyotylans were each given a small pot of water. They walked over to the male of their choice, presented it to the male of their choice, and poured it onto their hands before having the men do the same for them. This was so that they both would wash their hands to remove old memories and previous wrongdoings, a tradition found in most Navajo tribes.

After that, both bride and groom presented themselves before the tribe and were given an eagle feather to hold in their left hand while reciting their vows to each other. As it is traditional for the Ojibwa and/or the Chippewa, the eagle feather was to represent a connection with the Great Spirit among many Native American Indian tribes. To perform the Rite of Vows, the couples take seven steps clockwise around the sacred fire. The groom takes the first step, then stops to recite a vow. The bride does the same as the groom. The ritual continues until they both complete seven steps. As the couples did so, all that were present joined hands and circled both them and the ceremonial fire.

The ceremony was complete and all couples, including Issa and Nathanial, were officially married with wedding rings made of sterling silver with turquoise stones for the women and opal for the men. The whole tribe howled all together as an expression of their joy and happiness. Nathanial sheepishly joined in, hoping his self-esteem would be intact. He looked at his new Coyotylan bride who was beaming as bright as the harvest moon. She had never been so happier in her whole life and tomorrow was the start of their new life together. She flung her arms around his neck and pulled him into her kiss, her tail wagging furiously happy. His hands around her waist, Nathanial kissed her back. They looked into each other's eyes, the ambiance of the moon cementing elevating the adoration and affection for one another.