As Ratonhnhaketon stepped out from the carriage and into the sunlight of Boston. His hazel eyes widen at the sights in front of him. He had always heard of the white's man world to be different but to see it with his own eyes is a different story. There are large buildings made of stones that tower over him, the ground below him was not of dirt but of stone just like the structures that towered over him. The strangest sight was the people within the town. They are nothing like the stories he always heard in his village, they are much foreigner in person. The men are covered head to bottom in long pants and long shirts with buttons upon the sleeves and collar, their shoes are very strange and almost seen painful to wear. Yet, when a woman passed with a strange item attached to a stick covering her body, he could not help but to stare at her. She has on a very long dress that is puffy at the bottom but narrow at her stomach, also she has a strange fabric covering her hair.
The Native boy continued to watch the woman pass by him and Achilles; she must have felt his stare because she turned towards him but then continued on her way. Connor was so awed by her appearance that Achilles smacked him on the side with his cane, causing the boy to snap back into reality.
"Don't stare," he said angrily towards the dark skinned boy.
"Sorry," Ratonhnhaketon mumbled under his breath and lowered his head. However, his hazel eyes moved to the side to keep watching the woman as she walked into the crowd of people. Achilles started to walk and the snow falling from the gray sky brushes against the native's dark skin. Ratonhnhaketon just stared his surroundings as he walked behind Achilles.
"This place is incredible! The people. The sounds. The smells. I could walk these streets for days and know not even half its wonders," he said with so much enthusiasm in his young voice.
"I thought the same as you upon a time. These days, I much prefer the quiet of the countryside," Achilles replied to his eager student.
"But there is so much LIFE here. So many opportunities!" he said as he looked beside him to the many people near buildings.
"For a few my boy. For the few," Achilles said sadly.
Achilles then pointed his cane to a general store where many people were standing outside gossiping about recent events along with showing the items they just bought from within.
"There's a store close to here. You're to buy the items on the list. Tell them where the carriage is- and they'll see that it is loaded, understood?" Achilles said to the boy as he pulled out a coin purse from his pocket, handing it to the boy. "You're also going to need a new name. Your skin is fair enough that you might pass for one of Spanish or Italian blood. Better to be thought a Spaniard than a Native. And both are better still than I."
"That is not true," The boy said quickly to Achilles.
"What's true and what IS aren't always the same," Achilles replied with the same sadness in his voice.
"What would you call me then?" The Native asked the elderly man.
"Connor. Yes. That will be your name," Achilles said with a simple smile on her dark face. Connor walked in front of the man and Achilles gently pushed him with his cane. "Alright, off you go."
The Native only nodded once more and walked slowly to the place where Achilles pointed for him to buy items for the Homestead. Yet, he has never been in a white settler settlement and doesn't know how exchange worked here. He passed by the townspeople who stopped speaking to stare at the boy, probably trying to figure out what race he is.
He walked inside and the sight inside was enough to stop Connor dead in his tracks. So many items were placed on the wall such as white man weapons called guns and axes. The Native just stared at the items until the man behind the counter cleared his throat.
"Need somethin' boy?" The man asked.
Connor only nodded his head, "I need the items on this list."
The man just stared at him, "Will you be paying with coin or trade?"
Connor pulled out the coin purse from his pocket and placed it on the counter, "Is that enough?" He questioned the white man. The man picked it up just to feel it's weight and nodded.
"Wait here," the man said and disappeared out a back door.
Connor took a step back to admire the items on the wall once more but turned his head behind him when he heard the front door open. His eyes could not move from the person who stepped inside. It was a girl, probably a few years older than him. There was one body feature on the girl he could not remove his eyes from; it was her fiery red hair. Her hair was a gentle red with a single white streak on the left side; her hair was curly and long, with some strands held back in a bun.
He'd never seen such a hair color on any person in his entire life. He'd only seen the color when the sun set behind the hills in his village, that vibrant red color that could take his stress away and just feel as free as the eagle flying into the sunset. That is the color of hair the girl possessed, and he could not remove his hazel eyes from her.
The girl must have felt his eyes on her because she looked over to him with the greenest eyes he'd ever seen. Well, the only green eyes he'd seen but they were just as green as the fresh grass after a rainfall. She had on green dress that complimented her figure perfectly and she had strange clothing item around her stomach with lace, whatever it was it made her figure look even more attractive. She had long brown gloves upon her arms and white fox fur sewed into the shoulders of her dress. Also, she had a black chocker around her neck with green jewels sewed into the black fabric. He just couldn't stop staring at her.
The red head only smiled to herself from his staring and walked past him, pushing some of her curls behind her shoulders. The Native was star-struck because he just stood there, staring at her. She walked over to the candle section of the store and picked up two blue candles, holding them in her gloved hand. Then, she just walked around the store waiting for the man to return.
Connor just couldn't take his eyes off the stunning girl and before he could think, he just opened his mouth and said, "Your hair is beautiful." When the words escaped his lips, he cursed himself mentally and looked up at the ceiling, just hoping she did not hear him.
Yet, he looked over at her and a smile was just on her pale face. "What did you say?" She said gently, causing the Native's heart to race in embarrassment.
"I-I….I didn't mean it. I mean I did, but I-I didn't mean to say it outloud…I mean I want you to know but, I-" he just stopped talking and shook his head, feeling like such an idiot.
The girl just laughed softly to herself with the smile on her face, "Thank you for the compliment, I don't receive compliments like that usually, so it is refreshing to hear it."
Connor looked over at her and his heart rate slowed down dramatically. Well, at least she didn't insult him. He's never spoken to a white girl, let alone a beautiful white girl so he doesn't know what to say to her. Thankfully, she speaks for him.
"You have interesting skin color, I cannot figure out what race you are" she said with a shrug of her slender shoulders. Her green hues stare at the bow wrapped around his back. "Are you a hunter?"
"At times, when I need to be," he replied quietly.
"Oh," she replied with a nod of her head, causing her some of her red locks to fall over her shoulder and onto her chest. "I'm Lady…or that's what everyone calls me so I suppose you can call me that as well."
"I'm Raton- I-I-I mean, that's not my name," he said trying to correct himself without feeling like a completely idiot. "It's Connor. Connor is my name"
The red head raised a brow, "Interesting name for someone with not white skin to have, but it's nice to meet you Connor."
The back door opened with the owner carrying logs within his hands, placing them on the table along with an axe, bundle of nails, and a hammer.
"Here ya go boy," the man said simply. "Now the payment."
Connor nodded over to the coin purse on the table and man opened it, letting the money drop onto the table. He only took a few pounds, and Connor had some remaining. However, the boy looked over at the red head and then the money. "I'll pay for her items as well, if I have enough of course."
The man just stared at the Native and the red head who is just as shocked. "If you say so." The man took the reaming pounds, placing the copper coins in his cash register. Connor then picked up the pieces of lumber easily but was having trouble trying to balance the other items on top. Then, the gloved hand took the items from his hand and he looked over to the see the red head, taking the other three items.
"You can't carry all of that on your own," she said with the gentle smile on her face. "I'll carry this stuff as you carry the logs. "
The Native did not want to argue with the girl, but words blustered out of his stubborn mouth. "I don't want your dress to get dirty."
The girl just blinked over at him and she just laughed softly, "It will be fine."
They walked outside and the Native could feel eyes on him once again, but this time the feeling wasn't of hate but of jealous, perhaps? He wasn't entirely sure. He placed the lumber in the back of the dark carriage and took the items from Lady, placing them beside the logs.
"I'd better get going," the red head said to the Native. "Let's say it's never a good thing to be late in my profession."
Connor just looked at her. He did not want her to leave, he wanted to know more about her. He wanted to know everything about her. "Will I see you again?" He asked softly.
Her emerald hues widen and a perky smile appeared on her face, "I suppose. If you come and find me that is." She then smirked over at him and turned her back to him, walking down the street with the snow gently falling onto her red locks. The sight caused the Native to just lean against the the carriage with a smile on his tan skin. As he said before, he could wander the streets for days and never be able to hold all the wanders, yet he knows he must return to see the red headed girl once again.