Hello readers! Before you begin I just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to read my story and I hope you like it!
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Chapter 1
I was standing a top the highest hill in our territory. The wind wiped at my long, black braids. My friend, the eagle, circled high above me, ridding the up-drafts while waiting to spot his prey bellow.
The crisp october breeze played with the fringe on my dress as I stood silently and just listened. My grandmother once told me that if I was silent enough I would be able to hear the wind sing and the trees laugh as they watched the leaves dance.
âNina! Get down here! We are supposed to be gathering the berries.â My best friend Tiva stood at the bottom of the hill, hands on hips, tapping her foot.
I looked down at my half-full basket and sighed. Mother would not be happy if I came home with so few berries. I waved goodbye to the eagle and started down the hill towards my friend.
Tiva had always been the more sensible one. Like most girls in our tribe she wanted a nice, strong husband to build her a sturdy home, and have healthy children. She always did everything she was told and never strayed from the ways of our people. The only thing wild or untamed about Tiva was her hair. Unlike most girls and women in our tribe, she wore her hair straight down her back, flowing and free.
âWhy do you always have to ruin my fun?â I asked.
We walked side by side in companionable silence through the woods. All the while we picked the few stray berries we could find for it was late in the harvest season.
âDyami is coming home with the hunting party today. Are you excited to see him?â Tiva asked.
Dyami. The strong and silent man that had been chosen to be my husband. He was kind, but still a man of few words which made him seem cold and distant.
âI suppose Iâm excited. I will be glad to know he is safe but...I donât know Tiva. Do you think I should marry him? Father thinks very highly of him and I know he would be able to provide for me, but I just donât love him.â I had stopped walking and sat under a tree. I played with the end of my long braid as I contemplated my impending marriage. Tiva sat next to me and put her hands over mine. I looked up at my friend.
âNina, Dyami is a good man. He will be kind to you, provide for you, keep you safe. You know itâs a good idea and maybe over time you can learn to lo-â
A shot rang through the woods and interrupted Tiva. The war cries of our people rang through the forest as more shots went off. Tiva and I looked at each other. We dropped our baskets and ran. We ran as fast as our feet would carry us. The eagle soared above us and cried out as if to say he would go to battle with us.
We sprang through the trees and skidded to halt as we saw the scene before us. Men were being taken from the fields and arrested, women were being dragged out of their homes, children were crying as they stood still after they were separated from their parents. I squeezed Tivaâs hand, then we went our separate ways.
I ran to my home and found the door ripped off. I walked in and saw most of our belongings strewn across the floor. Pottery was broken, baskets of grain were spilled on the ground, blankets and clothes thrown around. I quickly gathered a large buckskin bag full of extra clothes and an extra blanket. I added some of our dried meat that we had been saving for the winter and some berries, then ran out of my home.
The cries of the young children missing their parents had not quieted and women were still being dragged from their homes. I came across a few children on my way towards the large group of people and I ushered them along with me. I saw my mother standing on the edge of the crowd looking around anxiously.
âMother!â I called. She turned and scanned the crowd looking for my face. I ran towards her and embraced her. Her soft arms wrapped around me and I instantly felt safe. Her hand made circles on my back as she soothed my shaking and frightened body.
I pulled away and wiped the stray tears from my face. I looked around at all of the scared and angry faces of my people. I saw Dyami making his way through the crowd. He looked angry and determined, his face set in a mask of stone. Only his eyes gave away the burning emotions that were brewing under the surface.
âNina. Are you ok? Did the white men hurt you?â He had both his hands on my arms and was looking me straight in the eye. I could tell me was worried. I lifted my hand and placed it comfortingly on his arm.
âIâm fine. Tiva and I were in the forest gathering berries when they came. Have you seen Tiva? I want to make sure that she is alright.â I looked up at Dyamiâs face. The stony exterior faded for just a moment and an expression of pure sadness settled onto his features. His hand stroked my cheek as he looked at me with pity. My heart started to pound furiously in my chest. Had Tiva been hurt? Was she missing?
âShe is with her aunt and uncle. Her parents...Her father put up a fight and killed one of the white men. They shot him. Her mother...she tried to save him and got shot in the process. She is grieving right now Nina. She is hurt. I donât know if you should go to her right now and interrupt her time with her family.â I looked at him with astonishment. How could he say that? How could I leave my best friend, the girl who was like my sister, when she needed me most?
I glared at Dyami and pushed him aside. I quickly darted through the crowd as I tried to find Tiva and her family.
âTiva! Tiva, where are you?!â I called out to my friend. Nobody answered but I soon found her a few steps from where I had been standing. My friend who had been with me throughout my childhood. My sister. She was on the ground sobbing into the shoulder of her aunt. I ran to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She lifted her head and looked up at me with watery eyes. She jumped up and threw her arms around my neck and continued to sob.
âI donât kn-know what Iâm going to d-do without them Nina,â she said between sobs. I hugged her tightly to me and we sat down on the ground. I realized I still had my large bag with me so I pulled the blanket out and wrapped us both into the warm safety that a blanket can bring.
âIt will all be ok Tiva. I promise. You can stay with me if you would like. Iâm sure mother and father wouldnât have any objections to it.â I could feel her nod her head on my shoulder as she swiped a hand across her red nose. I slowly stood her up and wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to where my mother and father were in the large chorale of people.
âMother, can Tiva stay with us tonight? I donât want to leave her alone like this.â I looked at my mother pleadingly.
âOf course she can. Iâll just go see if I can find another blanket for her. Itâs getting dark girls. Why donât you see if the white men are giving out fire wood.â She was about to walk off when Dyami cut in.
âI donât want you girls going anywhere near them. Stay here and Iâll go see if they are giving out fire wood.â With that he quickly walked off.
Tiva and I sat down on the cold ground. I could tell that Tiva was tired when she started to fall asleep on my shoulder. I took the blanket off from around me and shivered as the cold air hit my now exposed body. I wrapped Tiva up and laid her down gently then sat next to her to make sure nobody would step on her sleeping form. Minutes later Dyami came back empty handed.
âThey are not giving out fire wood. They have a few blankets and your mother got you one. They are not the best but it should keep you warm for the night.â I turned my head away from him without a word. I know I was acting childish but what he had asked me to do was unacceptable. He wanted to keep me from my best friend. I wasnât sure how long we sat there in silence but I soon felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I turned and looked at Dyami. He had a small crease in between his eyes like he was deep in thought.
âNina. Please let me apologize. I didnât mean to offend you. I just wanted to give Tiva time with her family.â I still said nothing. He sighed and pulled his hand back. âThey buried them. I helped dig the graves. They were all so sad.â His voice was quiet. I had never seen this side to him. It seemed almost...vulnerable. Even though I was still mad at him I took his hand in mine and smiled a small, reassuring smile at him.
âHere is a blanket for you dear. They only had two and Dyamiâs family had already gotten as many as they could but he still didnât have one so I thought you might be able to share.â My mother came up behind us and wrapped a scratchy wool blanket around our shoulders. A slight blush came to my cheeks as I comprehended her words.
âI thank you for your kindness but I donât want to impose,â Dyami said. He started to take the blanket off his shoulders and stand up.
âNo. Stay. Really I donât mind. Besides you need to stay warm and youâll get sick if you try and stay all night with no fire or blanket,â I said. He smiled at me and sat back down.
I looked up at the sky and noticed that the darkness had swept over almost everything. I could no longer see mother and father who sat snuggled under a blanket just five feet away. I yawned and notice how tired I was. I leaned my now heavy head on Dyamiâs strong shoulder. He was warm and I could feel his body heat start to warm up my own frozen body. He must have noticed how I could barely keep my eyes open so he slowly laid us down. He pulled me close to him so that we were touching but just barely. He wrapped the blanket around us tightly so the wind couldnât get in and when he thought I was asleep he kissed the back of my head. I feel asleep to this thought.
âWhat will the morning bring for me and my people.â