Captive

"It doesn't matter what happens, if only you're strong and have great courage."—Lois Lenski

…

The white man entering Kanatahséton with the hunting party looked oddly familiar, which was strange to Kanen'tó:kon, as he knew he had never seen any of the Colonists before. Even when the village had burned when he was four, he had come back from playing hide and seek after the men who had put Kanatahséton to the torch had vanished into the smoke.

Idly, he watched the man from the corner of his eye as he cleaned his hunting knife (a recent present from his father). The white man looked oddly at home among the band of Iroquois- half a band from a western tribe come to seek wisdom from Oia:ner, gone hunting this morning to thank Kanatahséton for its hospitality, part hunters of Kanatahséton to guide the foreign group. The man traded a joke in fluent mohawk, grey eyes dancing with mirth as the other hunters bent double with laughter. He was dressed like a mohawk hunter as well, in deerskin leggings and beaded moccasins, a few feathers tied into his single short queue of black-going-grey hair. The only thing that marked him as different from his fellows was the only slightly tanned skin on his bare chest and arms and on his his face.

Kanen'tó:kon watched as the man trailed his fellows to a longhouse, still laughing, giving his brace of game to one of the women before ducking inside. He'd heard of white captives before, though Kanatahséton never took any- he even believed that one of the men that lived in Kanatahséton was related to a Seneca man who had married a white captive girl. He remembered at least, a tale like that of a woman named Dehgewanus, for her beautiful golden hair. Perhaps this man had been captured as a boy as well, and had grown up as an Iroquois. True or no, Kanen'tó:kon could not wait to tell Ratonhnhaké:ton. Stoic as his friend was, this strange white man in Kanatahséton was a piece of gossip juicy enough that it would surely elicit a curious response, and the best Ratonhnhaké:ton was a curious Ratonhnhaké:ton. Kanen'tó:kon slid his knife into its sheath and took up his bow. With a quick wave to his mother, who was carefully weeding one of the fields, he headed out of the village to hunt down his silly lone wolf of a friend.

Nearly two hours later, Kanen'tó:kon concluded that he needed to work on his hunting skills, as he hiked his way through the late-summer forest flora. Really, Ratonhnhaké:ton was only eleven years old! Yet, somehow, he was able to vanish into the forest even more completely than any of the adult hunters, leaving no trace of his passage. While it was a neat skill to have and Kanen'tó:kon respected and admired his friend for it, Ratonhnhaké:ton's ability to ghost off on his own was truly irksome when Kanen'tó:kon actually wanted to find the young hunter.

Realizing that he had nearly circumnavigated the valley, Kanen'tó:kon plopped down onto a rock with a huff. At this rate, it was going to be dark before he caught Ratonhnhaké:ton, and he would be in big trouble with his Ista.

A pebble bounced off his head, and he shot up, fumbling for his bow. "Who's there?" he asked the gathering twilight, hoping his voice didn't waver.

"Kanen'tó:kon," came a familiar voice from above.

"Ratonhnhaké:ton!" His friend was above him in a tree, lounging casually on a branch as if there wasn't a good fifteen feet of air between his moccasins and the ground. Kanen'tó:kon slung his bow back across his back and crossed his arms."Spirits, you scared me! I've been looking for you for half the afternoon. Where have you been?"

"Up in the trees. Watching birds. Laying a few snares. What I usually do," said Ratonhnhaké:ton, merely raising an eyebrow in the face of Kanen'tó:kon's ire.

Kanen'tó:kon rolled his eyes, and gave a sigh. He supposed it wasn't truly Ratonhnhaké:ton's fault for being unfindable. "Well, you missed something interesting. Remember the group from the tribe that lives to the west that arrived this morning? When they came back from the hunt, I saw a white man was among their number!"

To Kanen'tó:kon's surprise and momentary horror, Ratonhnhaké:ton leapt from his perch, landing on a branch of an adjacent tree that was a few feet lower before turning and springing to the ground, landing like a cat. "A white man?" he asked. "What did he want?" His tone was like winter frost, and his eyes were narrowed dangerously.

"I don't think he wanted anything. He was dressed like us, and he acted like a brother to the other men," replied Kanen'tó:kon earnestly, trying to soothe his friend. Ratonhnhaké:ton was quiet for a moment, looking at the ground beneath his feet as if it were a puzzle he could not solve. "Remember the story of the white Seneca woman?" he prompted his friend. "I think perhaps he was a captive! Maybe as a boy he lived in the stone villages of the colonists!"

"Hmm. I guess, if no one protested him being in Kanatahséton…" mused Ratonhnhaké:ton. He looked up at the darkening sky. "We should get back. The foreign hunters will probably be introduced at the evening meal." Without another word he turned and charged away on swift and silent feet.

"Ah! Ratonhnhaké:ton! Wait!" cried Kanen'tó:kon in surprise, even though he knew his friend would not. With an aggravated sigh, Kanen'tó:kon ran after his friend, albeit quite a bit slower.

The sun was just dipping below the horizon by the time Kanen'tó:kon made it back to the village. Ratonhnhaké:ton was there at the entrance waiting for him, casually leaning against the fence. "Beat you," he said without inflection.

Kanen'tó:kon threw up his hands in exasperation. "Like that was even a race! You just took off! Of course you beat me back you silly rabbit!"

"I'm not a rabbit!" defended Ratonhnhaké:ton, pouting.

Kanen'tó:kon laughed at his friend's petulant expression. "Oh yeah? What are you then?"

"An eagle," Ratonhnhaké:ton said smugly. "Or maybe a wolf."

Kanen'tó:kon gave a look of mocking consideration, then said "Wolf, I think. For speed and skill in the hunt. And," he gave his smug-looking friend a sly look, "For its awful smell!"

Ratonhnhaké:ton look gobsmacked. "Wolves are clean! They smell fine!" he exclaimed.

Kanen'tó:kon just bent double with laughter in response. "Your face!" he managed to gasp out.

Ratonhnhaké:ton huffed and crossed his arms. But Kanen'tó:kon's laughter was infectious. The corner of his mouth ticked up, and a moment later he was laughing just as hard as his friend.

"Kanen'tó:kon!" The exclamation startled them from their laughter, and they looked towards the gate. Kanen'tó:kon's mother stood there, hands fisted on her hips. "Kanen'tó:kon, Ratonhnhaké:ton, you two should have been back long ago! You are nearly late for the evening meal. And our village has guests! What would they think if two little boys wandered into the gathering long after it had begun? You would have brought dishonor to the village!"

The boys bowed their heads in shame. "Sorry, Ista," mumbled Kanen'tó:kon.

"I am sorry. Please, do not punish Kanen'tó:kon, I should have come back earlier," said Ratonhnhaké:ton earnestly.

"No, I am to blame, I was the one who took forever!" protested Kanen'tó:kon.

"Children! Neither of you are to be punished," said Kanen'tó:kon's mother, smiling at the boy's defence of one another. "Yet, I might add. You will be if you do not wash up quickly and go to the fire."

"Yes!" the boys agreed quickly, darting into the village, leaving Kanen'tó:kon's mother to grin broadly behind them: it was rather heartwarming and amusing to see the boys' dedication to each other in action.

After splashing their hands and faces clean, the boys went to sit around the firepit in the center of the village. They were almost the last ones there, and they stepped carefully between seated villagers to sit near Kanen'tó:kon's family. While waiting for the meal to begin, Kanen'tó:kon chatted idly with his cousins, but Ratonhnhaké:ton did not join in on the conversation. Rather, he eyed the small band from the foreign tribe sitting near Oai:ner. There were four of them, dressed similarly enough that Ratonhnhaké:ton figured that they were of the same clan, as he noted that there were several repeating patterns on the men's clothing. In fact, Ratonhnhaké:ton would not have been surprised if they had been sewn by the same hand. Three of the men looked similar enough- there was something in the line of their jaw, in the breadth of the shoulders that marked them as cousins, if not brothers. It made the contrast between them and the fourth man all the sharper. The fourth man was unmistakably white-his skin was as pale as a fish's belly compared to his fellows, even with a suntan. He was also a little bit shorter and a little less lithe, his shoulders broad and muscular. Ratonhnhaké:ton supposed he was handsome, even with his white face. Handsomer than his fellows, at least, all of whom had rather strong noses.

It seemed that Kanen'tó:kon had noticed this as well, as he elbowed Ratonhnhaké:ton and whispered, "Look at those hawk beaks! They could rend you in two just looking at them!" Ratonhnhaké:ton smirked and Kanen'tó:kon chuckled, only to earn a cuff on the head from his mother.

"Quiet!" she hissed. "Don't be rude!" Kanen'tó:kon pouted, but did not reply, as Oai:ner rose to her feet and the buzz of conversation hushed.

"Friends and family," said the old woman, "Tonight we welcome our brothers from the west to our hearth. They have come seeking wisdom. Their gifts of game, glass beads, and broadcloth have pleased the elders, and so they shall receive what they have asked for and shall be treated as honored guests until they decide to depart." She gave a nod to the seated visitors. "Now, let us feast together!"

Whoops of agreement greeted her announcement, and as she was helped carefully to the ground, the women ladled steaming succotash into bowls and carved sizzling strips from a haunch of venison. The entire tribe dug in, and the hum of cheerful conversation rose once more.

Kanen'tó:kon slurped the last of the broth from his bowl, greedily running a finger alongside and sucking the last remnants off his finger. Lowering the now spotless bowl, he glanced over at Ratonhnhaké:ton, realizing his quiet friend was being even more quiet than usual. His bowl was mostly untouched as he nibbled on a tender piece of venison, eyes fixed on something. Kanen'tó:kon frowned, seeing that his friend was eyeing the white man with a contemplative look on his face. He nudged Ratonhnhaké:ton. "Hey. He might be white, but he's not that interesting, Ratonhnhaké:ton." His friend didn't respond, but Kanen'tó:kon's stomach did. He nudged Ratonhnhaké:ton again. "Can I have your bowl?"

"Hm?" Ratonhnhaké:ton tilted his head, gaze still fixed on the strange white man. "Oh. Yeah. Sure, take it." Kanen'tó:kon grinned and snatched up the bowl, ready to drain its delicious contents. "Hey, Kanen'tó:kon," said Ratonhnhaké:ton all of a sudden.

Kanen'tó:kon paused with his ladle halfway between the bowl and his mouth. "What is it?"

"Does the white man… does he look familiar?"

Suddenly, Kanen'tó:kon remembered his very first impression of the white man. There was something to the way he moved, something in the way he looked that did strike an odd chord of familiarity. He watched the man for a moment, as he smiled and ate and nudged one his fellows and rolled his eyes and when still as a hunting cat when he listened to another man speak.

Kanen'tó:kon swallowed his appropriated food. "Yes. I thought so this afternoon, too."

Ratonhnhaké:ton went very still, like he did when he was in the forest and tracking some game that Kanen'tó:kon could not see. As still as a hunting cat.

An odd thought occurred to Kanen'tó:kon, as he eyed his friend over the rim of his stolen bowl. Ratonhnhaké:ton was half white. It was not something that Kanen'tó:kon usually spent much time dwelling on, and Ratonhnhaké:ton never mentioned it, but as Ratonhnhaké:ton stared at the white man and Kanen'tó:kon stared at Ratonhnhaké:ton, he realized how comparatively pale Ratonhnhaké:ton was, and how other he seemed as the firelight highlighted the freckles on his cheeks and the flashes of gold in his eyes.

And with that hunting-cat posture... Kanen'tó:kon angled his head so he could see both Ratonhnhaké:ton and the white man as the white man leaned in to listen to a word from one of the village elders. Kanen'tó:kon's stomach flip-flopped, and he set the bowl down, no longer feeling hungry. Their faces and years were different, but the intent slope of the shoulders was the same. A strange sort of suspicion took root in Kanen'tó:kon's mind. It would be a very odd coincidence, but what if…

No. Kanen'tó:kon shook his head. That would be too much of a coincidence. And Ratonhnhaké:ton had said once a long time ago that his father was a Colonist, not an adopted Mohawk. And surely, this man would have heard of the fire in Kanatahséton and sought out his son if he truly was Ratonhnhaké:ton's father.

The uncomfortable sour feeling in his stomach faded away and Kanen'tó:kon lifted his bowl once more. There was a simple explanation. The white man and Ratonhnhaké:ton were both hunters, and so they shared the posture of a hunter. If Kanen'tó:kon wanted to look, he was sure that the other hunters of the village would move just the same. There was no need to test that theory-it wasn't a theory. It was a fact that hunter's all had the same grace, a grace that Kanen'tó:kon was sure he could achieve one day.

So he did not look, and shoved the nagging sensation of not just a hunter, too similar, something more to the back of his mind as he finished the last of his food, and teased his cousin, and watched the fire fade to nothing with Ratonhnhaké:ton as the villagers returned to their longhouses-the foreign band ducking into Oai:ner's-and as he bid his friend goodnight and went to his own sleep bench in his own longhouse.

Ratonhnhaké:ton remained by the embers of the fire, only nodding in return to Kanen'tó:kon's pleasantry, his knees tucked to his chest, his eyes fixed on the stars.

And something inside him wondered.

Maybe…

…

A/N: So this came from a sudden urge to see Haytham dressed in Native American attire. I basically know nothing about Mohawk culture, because the last time I studied Native American culture was sometime back in middle school, and that was only because I felt like it. I'm basing most of the cultural stuff off what I saw with Conner and from what I read in Lois Lenski's Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison, a favorite book of mine from elementary school. The white Seneca woman I mention later? That's her. She was captured as a teen and lived with the Seneca for the rest of her life, almost totally integrated into Seneca life. True, Conner wasn't Seneca, but the Mohawks are a part of the Iroquois Confederacy along with the Seneca, and, well, rumor spreads. Kanatahséton's neutrality means that it is unlikely that it took part in any scalping/kidnapping of white people, but that doesn't necessarily hold true for the rest of the Mohawk tribes so a white captive is plausible.

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Okay, my explanation is too lengthy. Basically all I'm saying is stick with it. It'll make sense in the end.

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Also I haven't edited this, because I am lazy. So preemptive apologies for any mistakes.

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I don't usually ask this, but please review! This will be multichapter, and I might need prodding with a stick, so really it's mutually beneficial.