The First Jumper (first draft version)

The First Jumper 12: Willow

She had quickly settled on Tiger as the most likely prospect, when she came into the tribe the moon before, and she had been sure that he had noticed her, as well.  She made sure to give him very subtle smiles, a few times, and she was sure he was interested.

Since, however, she had been very surprised to find that Little Bear, who was the son of the medicine man, was much more interesting in his own right.  He wasn't as big as Tiger, but he was big.  He wasn't as strong, but he was strong.  He was practicing as a warrior, but he was the son of the medicine man.  He might not be the chief, but as medicine man, he would be important.

When she heard Tiger talk, all he seemed to do was boast and bully.  Little Bear, on the other hand, talked quietly with her.  Not only did he not mind when she had ideas of her own, he actually talked with her about them.  Tiger was exciting, but he made her afraid.  Little Bear made her feel warm in a different way, and he didn't make her afraid, at all; he made her feel safe.

Over the past couple of weeks, she had been trying to distance herself from Tiger, and get closer to Little Bear.  She did not want them to fight for her, as she was pretty sure Little Bear would lose.  But if she just picked Little Bear, she was sure Tiger would challenge him.  The boys were friends, but if it came to fighting over her, she thought Tiger would kill Little Bear.

She had even liked Camel better than Tiger, but he had even less of a chance of defeating Tiger.  Only Little Bear stood a chance against him, and it wasn't a good chance.

Willow was still trying to figure out what to do about it, amidst daydreams of the boys fighting for her, when the demon had come, and Little Bear and Camel had been killed.

She was surprised at how deeply Little Bear's death had upset her.  She was shaken, and sat down beside Little Bear's body.  She saw Tiger giving her a covetous glance, and she knew that when her time came, she would choose him.  He was the only choice she had left, unless she chose one of the older warriors, because Tiger would surely kill any of the younger ones who tried to claim her.  It was as if she belonged to him already, and that made her sad, but she determined not to let Tiger know that.

As she talked with Raccoon, however, her feelings underwent another upsetting shift.  This was Little Bear's father, and he was more than twice her age, but the difference in age only meant he could better protect her.  He was one of the oldest men in the tribe, ancient to her young eyes, even though he was only twenty eight.

Yet he spoke to her kindly, and he respected her mind, just as Little Bear had.  She suddenly realized that if she were to choose Raccoon, he would be strong enough to resist anything Tiger would do, for the medicine man could not be challenged as a warrior could, and had special protections.

Filled with grief at Little Bear's death, and whipsawed by Tiger's hard looks, and now both excited and upset by Raccoon's gentle conversation, Willow found herself flushing with interest as she spoke to Raccoon, the third target of her affections in as many hours.

Already shaken in multiple directions by her feelings, the most profound shock of all came when she realized that Little Bear was alive.  The implications of that were like a blow to the top of her head.  When Raccoon laid his warm hand atop hers, clearly returning the interest she had shown, it only confused her more.

Did she still want him to do that?  What if Little Bear never woke up?

And the possibilities were such that Willow, with all her choices, could only sit there and cry, while the men shouted over her head.

"You!  Girl!"

Willow looked up, to see Cave Bear glowering at her.  The huge chief was such a frightening figure when he wasn't looking in her direction, that seeing his anger directed at her was almost enough to make her faint.