Walk A Different Path 🤍 Jaa/First

Chapter 1 ~ on location ~

"I make sure we have meat don't I? ... don't bother me father"

"you can get your damn lazy ass out of bed right now ahpô cî ... or else" his father shouted half dragging his son out of his bed.

"ok dammit, I'm getting up and I'll bring you enough meat to last us months then leave me the hell alone" Maskwa replied pulling on his jeans and stalking to the bathroom to relieve himself then he washed quickly before tying his long hair back with the leather cord he always used.

He was tall, the tallest in his tribe and all the mothers wanted him to be their son in law but he wasn't interested, had never been interested because he had only ever loved one person and now that person was gone.

He had been so cruel to that person and even though Pipon had forgiven him, he could not forgive himself. At the time he had just teased him to get his attention but he hadn't realised that he was irrevocably hurting him.

His actions had driven Pipon away, forcing him to live on the periphery of their territory until Maskwa only caught glimpses of him once a month when he attended tribal meetings.

In the end, Pipon had disappeared and everyone assumed he had been carried off by a bear or fallen to his death and they had given up searching after several weeks but Maskwa had continued to search for months.

Every time he went hunting he would travel further, he couldn't settle until he found Pipon and then they'd had visitors to the village, a man called Raz and another who looked like his beloved Pon but it wasn't him.

Pipon was gone, he knew that now but he still grieved for what might have been, for the life they might have shared. The love he had felt for his winter wolf would always be there and even though Pipon had forgiven him for his childish attempts at attention seeking he was still filled with regret and self loathing.

He picked up his shirt and dressed quickly before heading downstairs then grabbing his rifle, coat and stetson he walked out of the cabin without eating breakfast as his father's angry gaze followed him.

"why did you have to shout at him" Maskwa's mother spoke.

"do you enjoy seeing him come home drunk every day?" he replied.

"you know I don't but ..."

"I don't know how else to get through to him nîwa (wife) maybe being out there on the land can make him whole again, he needs to find his peace"

"he must have loved Pipon very much" Maskwa's mother said.

"I believe he did but I also believe that he will find happiness with someone else as long as he doesn't make the same mistakes again" his father said watching Maskwa through the window saddling his horse then he put a pack saddle on their pack horse before climbing in the saddle and riding off leading the pack horse behind him as the sun rose high in the sky.

The sprinter drew to a stop beside what looked like a small farmhouse with a large stable beside it and Sam opened his eyes when he heard voices,

"welcome to the Halfway Farm, I made hot stew for everyone before you set off up the mountain and while you're all eating, my husband will saddle the horses" a woman said.

"ok" the driver of the sprinter replied and Sam stretched before climbing out of the van.

His first thought was to get back in the van where it was warm but the thought of hot food made his stomach growl and he continued towards the farmhouse where the woman had gone.

When he got to the door he kicked off his boots before going inside the house and the woman welcomed him.

"hello sweetie, come and sit by the fire and I'll get you some stew" she said before wandering off to the kitchen to return moments later with a lap tray.