Walk A Different Path 🤍 Jaa/First

Chapter 17 ~ here to help ~

"yeah, they're my people" Pon replied.

"well let's hope they're all ok" 

The journey continued as the day wore on and the snow was never ending until in the distance, Sam could see smoke rising in to the air and his heart started pounding afraid at what he was going to find up ahead.

The mountie came up beside him and patted him on the back,

"well kid, it seems I owe you an apology, I didn't think you could do it but you got us here"

"I can understand you being hesitant but thank you for believing in me" Sam said.

"thank you for getting us all here in one piece"

The horses trekked on until they rounded a bend and approached where the village once stood but now there was just a mountain of snow with chimneys sticking out of the top. Men were hard at work digging out paths and Sam tried to spot Maskwa but he couldn't see him in the crowd.

A large area had been cleared and in the centre was a bonfire and a couple of men were chopping wood for the fire while the women cooked.

As they got closer the children saw them and started calling out to them and running to greet them and the women started crying and calling out in their native tongue.

They had built cone shaped shelters much like the old tepee's but in the absence of buffalo hide they had used birch bark to cover them with.

There were four large tepee's in all and they surrounded the large fire and Sam had to smile with pride at the resilience of his adopted people, they were survivors through and through.

"tansê ayahciyiniwak, hello strangers" one woman called out just as Maskwa's mother emerged from one of the tepee's and looked across at the visitors, her eyes curious.

Sam saw her and called out to her,

"okâwîmâw, mother ... tansê" 

'and Maskwa's mother  called out to the other woman,

"he's not a stranger, he's my nitihkwatim, my son in law" she smiled staggering forwards with tears running down her face as she clutched the blanket around her body.

"Sam my boy, you came back"

Sam climbed down off his horse and walked forwards pulling Maskwa's mother into a warm embrace before looking around for Maskwa.

The older tribesmen came forward talking to the mountie in michif, a combination of french and cree and he was explaining to them who everyone was and that they were here to help as much as they could.

The younger tribesmen took care of the horses while the women pulled Kiri, Kan, Chit, Paitoon, Raz and Pon across to the fire and Pon spoke to them in their native tongue explaining that they would do all they could to help.

Maskwa's father emerged from the same tepee that his mother had come from and when he saw Sam he rushed forwards.

"son, you came home" he said pulling Sam into a hug.

"tansê nôhtâwiy, hello father, where is Maskwa?"

"son, we have so much to tell you" Maskwa's mother said pulling him closer to the fire as one of the other women brought him a mug of hot broth.

"sit down son, let us tell you about Maskwa" his father said.

"but where is he?" Sam asked again.

Maskwa's parents began to relay the events of that fateful evening and told Sam how Maskwa had returned to let the horses out of the barn while the rest of the villagers had run up the hill.