Bigfoot

22.

Dawn was nearing as River set Azzalea on the bank beside the rushing water.

He had not stopped running and refused to set his fragile mate down. Fear carried him most of the way. There was no way for him to relax, he needed to be on the other side of that water and tucked safely in a cave he knew wasn't too far away.

The water was going to be cold. He needed to keep his sweet Fawn out of it.

He sat on the rock beside Azzalea and took a deep breath.

"My Fawn, I am sorry this is how life is. This is how it will always be, I'm afraid." He looked to her with sorrow. Maybe we should stay in the village.

They would be protected there. There was always force in numbers.

Azzalea sensed his sadness and tears welled up in her own eyes when she saw the emotion on his face. "Everything is ok River. Everything is going to be ok." She reached up and touched him. "I love you."

"I love you Azzalea."

River was starting to regret the entire trip. Was it really necessary to have his child sworn into the tribe? Him and Azzalea got along great, even with the communication barrier. Slowly he was learning her language and she tried her hardest at his.

They felt so much love towards one another, was anything else really needed?

Azzalea faced the rushing river and crossed her arms, hugging herself tightly. She wondered how deep the water was going to be. The idea of crossing frightened her terribly. One wrong move and either one of them could be swept into the unknown, never to be seen again.

River smelled the fear starting in Azzalea. The longer they sat the worse it was going to get. He stood and began to strip.

"What are you doing?" Azzalea stood up beside him and watched River unclasp his suit.

River pointed towards the water and then to his clothes. "No water fur. Cold. Cold. Cold." He made an over exaggerated gesture of being cold.

Azzalea couldn't help but giggle at his sweetness. She would do whatever he told her too. She bit her lip and started to unclasp her own fur.

River stopped her by putting his hand on hers. "No Azzalea. No water. No cold. Azzalea ok. River and Azzalea ok." He pointed to their stuff, then himself, and then to the bank of the other side. "River ok." He pointed to himself, to Azzalea, and then back again to the other side. "No water Azzalea. No cold. Nooooo coooold." Another exaggerated gesture.

"Ok." Azzalea stood on her tip toes and River planted a kiss on her lips.

He picked her up and carried her to the rock he had been sitting on. "Do not worry my Fawn. Ok? Everything will be fine. If I could cross this as a youngling, I can cross it now." Of course the water wasn't deathly cold and I don't recall it being this high or fast moving. "River and Azzalea?"

Do you trust me?

Do you know how much I love you?

Are you in this with me?

"River and Azzalea." She said softly.

Yes, I trust you with my entire heart and now the heart of our child.

Yes, I know and you know how much I love you.

Yes, forever and always until the end of our days.

Azzalea held her breath and watched her sasquatch finish stripping down into just his loincloth. There was something about seeing her sexy tan giant in nothing but a piece of hide, in the snow that turned her on.