Conquer

My Choice

I sincerely apologise for any mistakes I may have made regarding Native American culture. There has also been quite a bit of creative license.

Chuck found me with a frown on my face, moping around the forest, growing anxious about my future decision. He looked less withdrawn then he had for a while.

"We're celebrating the Green Corn Ceremony tonight, you need to get ready," Chuck stated, "I've organised for some of our females to help – since you don't have anything to wear."

I looked down at my outfit, "Isn't this good enough?" I asked.

He appraised my appearance and ordered with a slight smile, "Take off your jacket."

I raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"Take it off and maybe you'll be ready."

I shrugged it off, throwing it harshly at his chest, which he caught. I folded my arms, now just in a black t-shirt, "Now what?"

"Now you're ready to be prepared for the festival and it's a traditional occasion – so no your outfit isn't good enough."

Oh. If this is going to be traditional then I'll stick out for sure, well I mean more than usual.

"Why did I have to take off my jacket then?" I asked, hurrying after him, "I mean surely I could've done that later?"

He shrugged up ahead, "I felt like making you do it - I should've asked for your shirt too."

I threw a rock at the back of his head, "OW!" he cried out, rubbing a hand at his head and glowered back at me.

"What?" I asked innocently, "I felt like throwing a rock at you."

I called it 'even' as I followed him through the winding paths, apparently being led to a different cabin this time. The architecture of this pack was fascinating. Every family appeared to have their own cabin except the Alpha who had a bigger, more mansion style home, but even then it was modest in comparison to most other packs.

Every cabin was shaped, dressed and decorated differently, but this one was shaped in a wide circle and painted with symbols in vibrant shades of red, blue, white, green...

Coming from inside was the bustling chatter of woman, nattering about paints and braids and other pretty things. Chuck knocked on the wall by the door, alerting them to his presence. I hesitated behind him, safely obscured by the bulk of his figure, but around his shoulder I could see them as they greeted and smiled at Chuck when he walked in, a young woman laughed – her smile beaming across her face.

Chuck reach around and dragged me out from behind - planting me in front of him. The woman's smile dropped almost comically and the noise immediately decreased.

In that moment I realised I really hadn't met any of the pack, save a few, and now I was being thrown to the lionesses.

"Ayita? Poloma?" Chuck called out.

The crowd parted to make way for two women, one older woman followed by a younger one, both swathed in beads, brightly coloured cloth and jewellery.

"Alpha," the older lady bowed, hands clasped together at her front. Her face was marked with white line across the bridge of her nose and with blue patterns on her cheeks.

Chuck placed a hand at the small of my back, murmuring into my ear, "Just follow what she tells you to do and try not to get in to trouble."

He let go and stood back, excusing himself with a parting word and a hand to his chest before he turned and left me in the room. The woman smiled at me amicably and turned back through the crowd, leaving me to follow in her wake. She led me to a quiet area of the room right at the back and sat me down on a raised cushion by a few bowls. The younger woman knelt down and dipped a cloth in one of the bowls, running the warm water along my arm.