What if the Fight in the Glade Ended Differently?
Pocahontas spun around at the sound of a furious war call and saw Kocoum barreling towards her and John. Kocoum sprang at John.
"John, move!" Pocahontas said as she pushed John out of Kocoum's line of fury. Kocoum fell to the ground. Kocoum sprang to his feet and lunged at John again. This time, John couldn't move. Kocoum knocked John to the ground. Pocahontas gasped and ran towards Kocoum.
"Kocoum, no! Stop!" She screamed as she tried to stop Kocoum from hurting John. John struggled to keep the warrior's knife from his throat, but Kocoum's strength was too great. John let go of Kocoum's hand and a punch landed on Kocoum's jaw. Pocahontas wanted to smile, because Kocoum deserved it. Kocoum grew angrier and lunged at John again, this time pinning him to where he couldn't move at all. John had landed on his arm and he knew it was broken. Using his one good hand, he tried to keep the furious warrior's knife away from him.
"Kocoum, no! Please, stop!" Pocahontas pleaded. Kocoum didn't leave him alone. Suddenly, a shout stopped him.
"Kocoum!" Pocahontas turned to find her father. "Let him go!"
Kocoum glared at Powhatan, then let go of John. He staggered to his feet using one hand, and Pocahontas could see that it was unmoving and limp. Kocoum must have broken it. She nearly ran to John, who was muttering something from the pain in his arm.
"What were you doing?" Powhatan asked Kocoum.
"He attacked me and Pocahontas. He attacked her and was about to kill her when I stepped in and stopped him." Kocoum lied.
"That's not true!" Pocahontas said and John stayed quiet. "He did nothing of the sort! You attacked him, Kocoum!"
"Is this true?" Powhatan asked. Kocoum shook his head.
"Chief Powhatan, have I ever lied to you? Pocahontas has been lying to you and disobeying you by coming out here in the first place!" Kocoum pointed out and Powhatan turned to his daughter.
"Pocahontas, you did disobey me. Get back to the village." Powhatan ordered and before Pocahontas could protest, he motioned for a few of the warriors to capture John.
"Get him." Powhatan ordered and Pocahontas gasped as two men came out. Pocahontas wanted to scream at the warriors as they forced John to bring his broken arm behind his back. He gasped in pain and shot a glance at Pocahontas, asking her what to do. Pocahontas's eyes welled up with tears, seeing him in pain.
John, please don't fight them! Just go with them! Pocahontas's eyes pleaded and John understood. He couldn't fight anyway, not with a broken arm being held in an iron grip behind him.
"You attacked my daughter and nearly killed her. For this, you will come back to the village and we will decide your fate there. Take him away." Powhatan said and Pocahontas opened her mouth to protest again, but her father's cold, angry stare stopped her. She stared at the ground as her father, the warriors, Kocoum, and John tracked back to the village. John glanced over his shoulder at her once, but the warrior pushed him harder and he was forced to keep going.
"Pocahontas?" A voice asked and Pocahontas turned to find Grandmother Willow awake again.
"Grandmother Willow!" Pocahontas sobbed out.
"What happened, child? What's wrong?"
"It's Kocoum!" Pocahontas said bitterly. "He attacked John and my father caught him and he lied, saying John attacked him and was going to kill both me and him."
"I always knew that Kocoum was a bad egg!" Grandmother Willow said with a shake of her vines.
"I did, too. If only my father could see it that way." Pocahontas sighed. "I'd better get back. They're taking John back to the village and deciding what will happen to him." She said as she stood up.
"Good idea." Grandmother Willow agreed. Pocahontas ran off after her father, Kocoum, and John. She could hear their voices before too long, but she kept her distance.
"Great Powhatan, what will happen to this prisoner?" Kocoum asked.
"We will decide that when we get to the village, Kocoum. I want Kekata's opinion." Powhatan said.
"I just want to be able to sleep knowing that Pocahontas is safe." Kocoum said.
I can promise you this, Kocoum; you will not get away with this! Pocahontas thought furiously.
She continued to follow her father and Kocoum as they trekked back to the village with John as their prisoner. As soon as they reached the village, Powhatan announced that they had taken a prisoner.
"Brothers, sisters, what should we do with this prisoner? He attacked my daughter and would have killed her had Kocoum not showed up."
Pocahontas knew what punishment Powhatan had in mind. She stayed where she was to hear what her father would say.
"He will be the first to die." Powhatan said after a bit of thought. Pocahontas saw Kocoum push John, forcing him to kneel. Pocahontas's eyes flashed with anger. Kocoum was a jealous, I-Get-What-I-Want person and Pocahontas could stand it no longer. And she couldn't bear to see John get killed because of a lie Kocoum told. John kneeled and looked around the crowd. Powhatan was handed a club and Kocoum had a smug look on his face as he crossed his arms and waited for Powhatan to finish the prisoner off. Powhatan raised the club and John closed his eyes. Pocahontas saw her only chance. She ran out into the clearing from the shadows were she had been hiding and kneeled next to John, throwing her arms around his neck.
"Stop!" She said. Everyone halted.
"Pocahontas!" Powhatan, Kocoum, and John said at the same time.
"Father, don't!" Pocahontas pleaded.
"Pocahontas, move." Kocoum said. Pocahontas shot him a look that silenced him.
"I won't! Father, please, don't! John did nothing wrong!" Pocahontas said.
"He tried to kill you!" Powhatan said.
"No he didn't! Kocoum just told you that! John did nothing wrong! Kocoum attacked him!" Pocahontas protested.
"Is this true?" Powhatan asked, turning to Kocoum.
"No, he really did try to kill Pocahontas and me!" Kocoum said, realizing he was found out. Pocahontas glared at him.
"Kocoum, you're lying! John would never do that!" She said. Powhatan turned to Kocoum.
"How do you know?" Powhatan asked.
"Because I love him." Pocahontas said quietly.
"Free him." Powhatan ordered and Kocoum reluctantly cut the ropes that held John's arms – one broken – behind him.
"Kocoum, I would like to have a word with you." Powhatan said and Kocoum, looked at Pocahontas and John, then followed Powhatan.
"Are you alright?" Pocahontas asked John.
"Better than I would be if you hadn't showed up just then." John said. "Except for the fact that I think Kocoum broke my arm."
"I think so, too. Can you move it at all?" Pocahontas agreed. John shook his head.
"No."
"Then you might want to come and see Kekata."
"Kekata?"
"Our medicine man. He'll help you."
"Alright. But only if you're sure."
"I'm sure, don't worry. Come on." Pocahontas assured him. She led the way to Kekata's hut.
"Kekata?" Pocahontas asked. Kekata exited his hut.
"Pocahontas! What is it?" He asked. He stopped. "Pocahontas, you know there's a white man behind you?"
"Yes, Kekata. He's a friend."
"I saw what you did, Pocahontas." Kekata said. "Your mother would have been so proud."
"Thank you, Kekata."
"Now what is the problem?" Kekata asked.
"We think that Kocoum broke John's arm." Pocahontas answered.
"Then we'd better get that fixed."
Two weeks later, John entered the village.
"Wingapo, John!" Pocahontas called.
"Wingapo, Pocahontas. I'm here to see Kekata about my arm." John said.
"He said you would be coming today. How is it?" Pocahontas asked.
"Better than it was. But this sling," John said, motioning to the sling on his arm with his shoulder, "Is about to drive me crazy."
"I can understand that." Pocahontas said. "I'm just glad you're okay."
"Me too. Whatever happened to Kocoum anyway?"
"My father banished him to a neighboring tribe. He said that if he lied to him, he couldn't trust him anymore." Pocahontas said. "Personally, I think he deserved it."
"I can't say anything, really." John said.
"Come on, let's get that arm checked out." Pocahontas said and she and John made their way towards Kekata's hut.
A/N- HAPPY NEW YEAR! I thought, "What a way to kick off the 2007 on then by adding another story! Hope you liked it! Anyway, please review! Happy New Year, again!
-Robin
PS- On The Heart of the Wind- When Sophie and I activate our new account, it will be under the name Rainsdoodle. It'll be all fixed up with bar separators, spell check, and things like that. Sorry, it's written through email since Sophie doesn't live in the same town as me anymore, but I did see her today! You'll know which one of us wrote what chapter by our names, pen names, last names, first and middle names, and other things. I think you'll figure it out. Anyway, please review!