The Trail to Love and Loss

Daya

I stepped out of my asi and gazed around. My horse, Athalia grazed in the village's pasture. I clutched my doll, Mary, absentl mindedly stroking her rough hair. Mary was my only toy and had been at my side my whole life. My friend, Asim, came running up the slope to my asi. I ran to greet him.

"Osiyo!" I called, "Hello!"

"Daya!" he cried his voice both stricken and excited. "Rumors are floating around in the village!"

"What is it?" I asked. Rumors in our village were normally just that. Rumors.

"The white soldiers are marching to our land! They want to move our people to a faraway place they call Oklahoma." Asim finally reached my asi, his chest heaving from having run all the way up the slope.

"Wado. Thank you for the news." I didn't really believe the rumor, but it was something to investigate further.

"How is that piz wat horse of yours faring?" Asim cracked a crooked grin at the mention of my horse, the news he just delivered already far from his mind. He enjoyed teasing me about her laziness.

"She is not useless!" I fumed.

"Well, you can't ride her, can you?" his expression was smug.

"Yes you can! But only when she wants to be ridden..." I pouted, "But, she can do plenty of other things!" I argued. "Athalia!"

My horse trotted over to me.

"Sit." She sat down.

I heard Asim mutter piz wat, then he swiftly turned and jogged back towards the village. I scurried back inside the asi. Aluli and E do da were in the kitchen. E do da was skinning a deer, his taught muscles moving fluidly under his skin. He wiped some sweat off his forehead with a cracked, calloused hand and set back to work. Aluli was making cornbread, her long black hair secured in two shining braids.

"Aluli! Asim told me a rumor was going around the village."

"And that rumor would be?" She asked, clearly unimpressed.

"That white soldiers were coming to move us to a new territory called Oklahoma!"

"Don't listen to rumors, Daya. Nothing good comes from them," she said flatly. I sighed. I would have to find out the truth for myself. I walked outside and quickly caught Athalia. Clambering onto her back, I cantered her towards the village.

Once I entered the center of the village, I bought some bread before guiding Athalia between two asis and headed to the Wise One's hut. Along the way, children scuttled underfoot. Athalia gently nudged them out of the way and I shooed them from atop her back. All around me villagers were going about their business. Many of the men were skinning their own freshly caught game just as E do da had been. I received many calls of greeting and I returned all of them. Everyone in our village knew each other and we were all very close. After about five minutes, I reached the Wise One's home.

I smoothly dismounted and let Athalia loose, allowing her to graze. I bowed my head at the door and entered. I cleared my throat and announced, "O Wise One! I have come for advice!"

"What do you want, child?" Her hoarse voice emanating from a concealed location. I noticed movement and turned to witness her emerging from a pile of shawls and animal skins in the far corner of the dwelling.

"I seek the truth. Are the white soldiers really coming?" I whispered. I found myself searching her face for any tell that would to give away the answer to my question. The Wise One closed her old, wrinkled eyes and then shuddered. Her milky blue eyes flew open.

"What did you see?!" I cried, seeing the horror in her eyes. The Wise One was never scared. Whatever she had seen had truly frightened her.

"There will be trouble. Everyone will be in grave danger. You must hurry. Go into hiding. Tell everyone the white soldiers are coming. Quick child!" she began frantically shooing me out of her hut. I burst outside, calling out to Athalia. She trotted over and nuzzled my face affectionately. I swung myself onto Athalia's back. The Wise One was still spouting her warnings of doom and destruction as I galloped off.

Racing through the village, I shouted the news of our oracle's prophecy to everyone I saw. I sped home and quickly told my parents.

"The Wise One is getting old, Daya. She can't tell the difference between a horse and a deer, she's so blind." Aluli dismissed my frantic voice with a wave of her hand. I looked at E do da desperately.

"Your Aluli is right. The Wise One no longer holds the ability to see the future, Daya. Now, go take care of Athalia. She's practically dying because of how hard you ran her. Go, now!" E do da commanded.

I raced outside. Looking at Athalia, I knew E do da just wanted me out of the asi. Athalia was standing right where I had left her. She might have been a lazy horse, but she could run faster than any and feel almost no effects afterward. I didn't doubt that she could run for miles on end if I needed her to. True to her breeding, she was breathing easily, no sign of sweat on her. I scrambled onto her back and rode toward the village once again.

I pulled Athalia to an abrupt halt. There in front of me, my worst fears had come true. The white soldiers had arrived.