My Kidnapper Wears a Feather in His Hair

Chapter 5 (edited and longer)

As the day wore on, the wagon train pressed harder and harder. Before, they had only one goal; to reach San Francisco. Now, though, they needed to get there as fast as they could.

The night before one of the train members had come rushing back from the plains, panting, scared, and alone. When he finally was able to speak, he retold how he had been escorting a young Miss Ella Weldingston, the famous entrepreneurs daughter no less, when all of a sudden a group of wild Indians came riding up on horses, wielding bows. He had tried to fight them off but they were too numerous, and he miserably failed. The Indians took Miss Weldingston and rode off into the night. That’s when the young lad had sprinted back to the camp.

The entire train was instantly in an uproar; everybody began talking at the same time, each voice a little louder, trying to be heard above the hubbub.

Katie had tears in her eyes and the other women began to sob as well.

“I say we unhitch the horses and go find her!” one voice yelled against the rest.

“Yeah!”

“Why? She could be anywhere by now!”

“How could we find the Indians?”

“Who would WANT to find the Indians!”

… and so on.

“Hey!” Katie yelled. Nobody moved, still yapping unceasingly to each other. “HEY!” Katie grunted in aggravation and went around the back of the wagon.

BANG. The air buzzed from the lack of sound.

“Thank you.” Katie said, putting the rifle down. “Now, instead of babbling here like a bunch of buzzards, lets make a plan of action. I suggest we keep on pressing forward like we have been. But I suggest that we get going two hours earlier and not settle down until twilight. At that rate we would arrive in San Francisco in…,” she paused, counting in her head. “We would arrive in 14 days. We’re also going to send three riders ahead of us on the fastest horses available to us to go ahead and try to spread word to Mr. Weldingston about his daughter. Now, I suggest that we all say goodnight and get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow.”

Nobody argued or suggested another plan, they were all to exhausted and didn’t feel like a young girl who was taken by natives was their personal problem. Three men volunteered to ride ahead and packed their saddlebags for their early morning. 

Despite their argument, Ella still felt that she had to leave the tribe and finish the journey to California like her father had wanted. She had no idea how she would manage a trip like that by herself. She didn’t even know where she was and the natives didn’t make maps. At least, none that showed the entire west coast. If she stayed she knew her father would be furious; but as much as that thought pleased her she made her mind up to leave as soon as she could. Her father was like a spoiled child who always gets his way and if he doesn’t he throws a fuss; she did not want the tribe to be part of it.

Since the ten days she had been there, Ella felt like she had fallen into a brand new world. In a sense, she had. She knew nothing of Okena’s people or their customs or their language. She had slept ever night in the tent that the woman had taken her too on the first night. It was shared with other young girls and older women. None of them were married. Each day was filled spending time with the older women who shared her tent, gathering berries and food, weaving baskets, watching the children play, or listening to the women talk in their deep tones. It was better than sitting on the rickety bench of the wagon all day, but still extremely boring. All the while, Ella was trying to figure out how to leave.

Now, Ella was sitting outside the tent, watching a girl probably  two years her elder, use a rock to scrape the fur off a stretched pelt.  The girl looked up and smiled at Ella watching her. She held out the sharp rock and said a string of words in her native tongue. Ella blinked in response. The girl threw her head back and laughed.

“Here, you try.” She said in english.

Slowly, Ella stood up and knelt beside the girl.

“Like this.” The girl said as she began to quickly and skillfully run the edge of the stone against the skin, pulling off small tufts of fur each time.  After a few strokes she put the stone in Ella’s hand. Ella paused, not sure she’d be able to do it and end up making a fool of herself.

“Go on, try.” Ella raised the stone to the skin, pausing briefly, then pressing the rock against the skin. A tuft of fur fell gently on the ground around her. The girl smiled again, showing off beautifully white teeth. “See? It’s not so hard. Better than sitting around with the old women all day.”

“Much.” Ella said, relishing in speaking with another person who knew her language. “Thank you.”

The girl nodded and picked up another stone. The two sat working silently side by side. Ella hadn’t realized how long she had been working until she became suddenly aware of a shooting pain in her arm and cramping in her hand. The girl noticed Ella’s discomfort, and took her stone and placed them in a basket near the skin.

“That’s enough for now. You should rest your arm for tomorrow.”

“What’s happening tomorrow?” Ella asked.

“My brother wishes to take you hunting.”

Ella had seen this girl with Okena a few times and had felt a sudden cringe in her middle that she told herself was not jealousy. Ella hadn’t talked much to Okena since the afternoon in the meadow. She felt exposed when he was around, like she had relvealed too much of herself to a stranger. Now, though, she realized that this girl was Okena’s sister and not a village girl.

“My name is Aiyanna.”

“That’s a very lovely name.” Ella said. After a minute Ella asked, “How do you know English?”

Aiyanna’s face grew dark. Ella instantly felt small and foolish that she asked. She felt a blush rise up to her cheeks. Aiyanna noticed Ella’s growing discomfort and gave a weak smile.

“Do not be ashamed. It is a good question. Why would an Indian know the language of the white people?” Aiyanna looked over to where a few children were playing with straw dolls. “When Okena and I were very little some white men passed close by our village. They could not see our people, but our scouts noticed them. They were just normal travelers so our father did not send out any warriors. That night one of the teepees on the edge of the village went up in flames and the people were scared as more teepees were on fire.” Aiyanna closed her eyes tight, blocking out a horrible memory.  “My brothers and I were standing outside our tent, looking for our mother and watching our father gather the warriors to fight. Okena was holding my hand very tightly. I was so small that the next thing I can remember are demons riding through the village on large black horses with large black eyes. A little child wandered in front of the horses path lost and looking for his mother in the confusion. Then I felt Okena’s hand slipping out of mine as he rushed to save the child.”

It was silent for a while as Ella took in everything Aiyanna had said.

“One of the demons reached out a hand and snatched up Okena. We didn’t see him for six years after that. We all thought we was dead. When he came back he didn’t speak for a year. He had awful scars on his back and one on his arm…” Aiyanna stopped, swallowing tears.

“You don’t need to say anymore.” Ella said softly. Aiyanna wiped her tears but her eyes were still wet and  her face drawn.

“When Okena began to speak again, it was as if he had never left. He never talked about what happened in those six years he was gone, except that he taught my family your language. He said it was in case we see a white person we will be able to communicate with them and ask for help.”

Both girls looked up to the sound of thundering hooves coming through the village. Okena was part of the group, one hand clutching the mane, the other holding up a spear. Two riders in the back dragged a sled looking object that seemed to be holding dead animals. The men from the hunting party were glistening with sweat and cheering. Okena dismounted and caught Ella’s eyes in the excitement. He smiled and held Ella’s gaze for a moment too long, then turned back to the others who were unloading their prizes. As he turned Ella again noticed the long, pink scar. What had her father done to him?