Chapter 1: Mother Nature
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.
One day, it had been nearly eighteen years since she was born, her parents sent her into the woods to gather some herbs and berries. Her parents provided her with a large basket and told her not to return home until it was full. Smiling, Naturetta bid them farewell and skipped off into the woods. She had been walking for twenty minutes when she found a blueberry bush. Smiling again, she began to pick berries off of the bush. When the bush was all but picked clean, Naturetta continued to walk through the woods. She knew where all the best places were to pick berries and to find herbs were.
Checking to make sure she wasn't being watched, Naturetta deviated from the path and trekked off into the heart of the woods. Naturetta managed to fill up the basket and put some extra herbs in her apron pockets.
She was walking home when she stopped. Something didn't feel right. There was no noise. Normally when she got this close to home she could hear the birds singing the bugs buzzing. Children at play. Something. But now there was nothing. Naturetta picked up the hem of her dress and took off towards home. What she saw when she arrived at the edge of the forest made her stop. The air in her throat caught. Her heart plunged into her stomach and her stomach felt as though it were going to come out through her mouth. Naturetta dropped her basket and fell to her knees, her eyes not believing what they were seeing.
Everything was on fire. Every house was ablaze; her house was ablaze. Naturetta scrambled to her feet and ran towards her house. She kicked the door open, and avoiding the falling pieces of timber, she ran around. "Mother! Father! Are you in here? Mother! Father! Where are you?" Naturetta ran into her parent's bedroom first and screamed out in horror. She saw their bodies pinned under a fallen piece of roofing, blackened beyond recognition. "Mother! Father! No!"
She fell onto the floor, tears streaming out of her eyes. How did this happen? Who would do this? What could do this? Naturetta pulled herself off of the floor and fled from the burning building. She spared her village one more glance before walking away. She knew the woods and what awaited her in them more than most people.
Sobbing heavily, Naturetta wasn't paying the best attention to where she was going. She just wanted to get away from her burning home. She stumbled through the woods, tripping over roots and fallen branches. "Why? Why take my parents? Why, God?" Naturetta kept trekking through the woods.
After a few hours, night had finally fallen. Naturetta, tired, exhausted, and grief stricken, fell to the ground at her feet. Using her arms as a pillow, she fell into a long, dreamless sleep. Naturetta didn't wake until four hours later. It was still night but her reason for leaping up was a good one.
There was a bear looming over her. A very large bear.
Naturetta gasped quietly, slowly backing up. She scrambled away from the bear. It slowly followed after her. Naturetta knew if she wanted to survive then she couldn't move too quickly and she had to be as quiet as possible. The bear lowered its head and reached toward Naturetta who threw her hands up to protect her face. The bear leaned its forehead against Naturetta's palm. When it didn't try to bite her head off, Naturetta looked up to see the bear leaning against her. The bear laid down on the ground. Naturetta slowly put her hand down and crawled away, looking at the bear. She was slightly confused. The bear grunted, set its head down on the ground, and closed its eyes. Naturetta crawled next to its side and curled up against the bear. The bear grunted again but otherwise remained motionless. Naturetta sighed and slowly she felt her eyes shut. She needed sleep and since this bear bodyguard was here she might as well get some.
In the morning, Naturetta woke up when the sun hit her eyes. Stirring, she sat up and to her surprise the bear was still there. When Naturetta sat up, the bear stirred with her. "Well, thank you for not eating me. I very much appreciated that. But I must be on my way now. It's been real. Goodbye." Naturetta picked up her knapsack and headed off. After a moment, the bear got up and followed her. It walked up to Naturetta's side. Naturetta frowned. What was wrong with this bear? "Are you following me?" she asked it, petting it on the head. The bear just grunted and stood there. Naturetta shrugged. Oh well, if the bear wanted to follow her, what harm could it bring? The girl continued on her trek through the woods.
They had been walking for an hour when an arrow sailed a hair away from Naturetta's face. "Who's there?" Naturetta called, backing into the bear which rose a little, seemingly trying to protect her. Squinting into the dark forest, Naturetta gasped as three Native Americans stepped out into the light. "Who's there?" Naturetta asked again.
The middle Native spoke. "I am Ashwin. And this," he pointed to the man on the left, "Is Jacy. And he is," Ashwin pointed to the man on his right, "Waya. Who are you and why are you here?"
"I am Naturetta Lightwood. I did not mean to trespass. I am only here because my village was burned to the ground when I was away, foraging for berries and herbs. When I arrived home, everything was on fire. There were no survivors so I left."
"Who is your companion?" Ashwin inquired, denoting to the bear.
Naturetta spared the bear a quick glance, unsure of how to reply without sounding crazy. However, she did not want her three new companions to run out of patience and attempt to shoot her again so she quickly replied, "I don't know. Some bear. I met him last night and he hasn't let me be since."
"The Spirit Bear." Ashwin whispered, his eyes widening with recognition.
"What did you say?" asked Naturetta, squinting her eyes in confusion.
"You've been chosen. By the Spirit Bear. You must come with us immediately and consult with our elders." Ashwin informed her rather impatiently.
"What?" Naturetta began, taken aback. "After you just shot at me?"
"You are unharmed. I could have killed you yet I did not. Now please, we must make haste." Ashwin replied, waving her off. Jacy took Naturetta by the hand and guided her to their village.
Naturetta was told to wait with Jacy while Ashwin and Waya rounded up the elders and the Chief. Waya came out when they were ready and told Naturetta and Jacy to come in. As Naturetta walked in, the Spirit Bear followed her inside. As the bear walked in, everyone gasped. Naturetta remained in the entrance, afraid to step another inch inside.
"So the legends are true." one of the elders whispered, their eyes all trained on Naturetta.
"What legends?" Naturetta asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Our tribe has long worshiped the fabled Spirit Bear. Many centuries ago, the leader of our tribe, Ephraim White, went off into the woods. He never returned. At least not in the same way that he left. He came back in the form of a bear. Needless to say, as soon as he came back in the form of a bear and attempted to break into his own home, he was fired upon by our greatest warriors. But our warriors were no match for the power of the bear. The bear took control of Ephraim's mind and struck down the warriors. In mere minutes those who weren't dead were greatly injured. Then the bear spoke. 'I am the Chief, Ephraim White! I am the mightiest force you will ever meet! Respect me and your enemies will perish! Dishonor me and your tribe will be no more!' Needless to say, no one else attempted to destroy the bear. But one day the bear disappeared. No one knew where he went until now. But the Spirit Bear left a message before disappearing. He promised that one day he would guide us in battle and lead us to victory. You are the master of the Spirit Bear and will command our army."
Everyone in the tent except for Naturetta and the Spirit Bear cheered. "What? I know nothing about commanding an army. I'm not a fighter." she quietly whispered, her voice echoing throughout the tent.
The celebration stopped suddenly. "Sure you are. Why else would the Spirit Bear choose you then?" Ashwin asked.
"Why indeed. She was part of a white man's village. She is weak and not of this land. Why would the great and mighty Spirit Bear pick her when there are many girls of our own tribe to select from. What is so special about her?" questioned Waya cynically.
"Hey!" Naturetta said, offended. "I might not be one of you, but that's not my fault! It's not like I chose to have a bear follow me around. Everyone that I care about in the world died yesterday because they burned to death! And you expect me to forgot all of that because a 'magical' bear is following me around in order for me to command your army?"
Waya lept to his feet but Ashwin pushed him back down. "Jacy, let Naturetta Lightwood stay with you in your quarters for the night. We'll decide what to do with her tomorrow."
Jacy nodded once, took Naturetta's hand, and lead her towards his home. The Spirit Bear followed her inside. Naturetta looked around. It was a small room with minimal furniture. There were lots of hunting weapons, tools, animal skins, furs, and preserved pieces of meat. "Homey," Naturetta commented thoughtfully.
"You really should stay with us. You have nowhere else to go. We need you, Naturetta." Jacy confided in her, walking over to where she stood.
Whirling around to face him, she scoffed, "No, you need the bear, apparently. You clearly don't need me. After all, I'm a 'white girl not of this land.'" Clearly, Naturetta was hurt by Waya's words.
Slightly shaking his head, Jacy contradicted, "We do need you. Without you, we lose the Spirit Bear. Without the Spirit Bear, we would lose everything."
"So you only need me because I have some form of control on the Spirit Bear. If I didn't control the Spirit Bear, then what?" Naturetta remarked, placing her hands on her hips to emphasize her point.
"We're not going to get rid of you, Naturetta." Jacy told her confidently.
Laughing lightly, Naturetta trilled, "Has anyone told Waya that? I think not."
"Don't mind Waya." Jacy instructed, waving his hand dismissively. "He's always had a problem with pride and temper."
"Obviously." Naturetta said with an eyeroll, making Jacy smile.
"Don't be so hard on him. He saw his older brother get shot a month ago." he quietly informed her.
At that, Naturetta gasped in surprise and placed a hand over her heart. "By who? An enemy tribe?"
With a slight shake of his head, Jacy replied, "It was a white man, actually. It was a hunting accident but Waya still hasn't gotten over it."
"Still doesn't make up for his vulgar behavior towards me." Naturetta grumbled, crossing her arms over his chest.
"Can't say I blame you. I wouldn't be too forgiving towards him, either." There was silence for a moment before Jacy said "I want to show you around. Come on. You can meet everyone."
Taking her hand, Jacy lead Naturetta out of his home and around the village. There were more people here than there were in her village. And everyone of them made sure to stop what they were doing so that they could witness the legendary Spirit Bear and his master.
Once back at Jacy's home, Jacy said, "You might want to change. There are clothes in the spare bedroom that you can wear. You already stick out. A little blending in wouldn't hurt. And let me know if you get hungry and I'll get you something to eat and drink." Jacy lead her to the spare bedroom.
Before he left Naturetta grabbed his hand and said, "Thank you, Jacy."
"You're welcome." he replied, shutting the door to give her some privacy.
Naturetta turned and saw a stack of clothes on the bed. She took one of the garments and held it out in front of her. It was a thin dress made of animal skins with an intricate pattern made using beads and feathers. Sighing, she set the dress down and took off everything, including her under garments because she had been provided with those too. Naturetta pulled the dress over head and knocked the creases out of it. Looking down at herself, she thought she looked sort of pretty in the outfit. Folding her outfit, she slid it into her knapsack before exiting the room and looking for Jacy. She found him shortly in the main room.
When he looked over at her, his mouth opened, forming the shape of an 'o'. "You look incredible."
"Thanks for the compliment, the clothes, and taking up for me. It must stink that you got stuck with me, doesn't it? I bet you'd rather be with your friends doing anything but this." Naturetta told him, feeling guilty for intruding into his life.
Reaching for her, Jacy ordered, "Don't say that. I think you are really nice company."
"Because I'm the Spirit Bear master." she finished for him.
"No, not just that, although it is an honor to stand in your presence." Jacy told her with a wry smile. "You are a really nice person. I find your company something to crave for."
Her eyes widening in surprise, she replied, "You haven't even known me for twenty four hours. You know nothing about me."
Shrugging nonchalantly, Jacy supplied, "I know what I need to know for the most part. You're a good hearted person. Most people would have cussed Waya out or tried to beat the snot out of him. You just stood there."
"Did you just call me weak?" she asked in a mocking tone.
"No, I called you selfless and kind. I would never call you weak." Jacy quickly told her.
Smiling slightly, Naturetta replied, "Well, thank you again. But it's not that big of a deal. Where I came from, it doesn't matter who you are. My family never engages in physical combat and words aren't meant to be used to hurt others. Curse words at my house were never used unless you wanted to be spanked."
"And I thought I had a harsh childhood." Jacy said with a shudder.
"What happened in your childhood?" Naturetta asked Jacy curiously. In response, Jacy shrugged his shirt off and showed his back to Naturetta. There were scars crisscrossing all over his back. Naturetta gingerly ran her fingertips across them. "Who did this to you?"
"My father. He was rather strict. Wanted all of his sons to turn into fierce warriors." he informed her, pulling his shirt back on.
"You have brothers?" Naturetta inquired.
Nodding, Jacy replied, "Yes. Ashwin is the eldest. There are two others, Atsaid and Mohe. They are the second and third born. Then there's me. The youngest."
"You're lucky. I was an only child. Having three brothers must have been nice."
"Not in this family. The eldest always ate first. The younger you were meant that you had to wait on more people to eat their fill before you got yours, even if you went to bed hungry. It was to show respect. Unless you were female. Then you got to eat first no matter what age you are. When I have children, I'm going to feed them each until they're stuffed."
Naturetta couldn't picture this. A younger version of Jacy sitting calmly as everyone else ate their fill, leaving bits and scraps that only he could be thankful for. Going to bed, hungry and tired. At her own house, Naturetta got to eat three full meals every day with her family. No one got second best because of their age. Everyone was treated as equals. Unless it came to alcohol. That she never got any of. Jacy with a family was easier to picture. He really was a sweet man. Any girl would be lucky to get him. He had a handsome face. A strong chin and jawline with high cheekbones and long eyelashes which framed light brown eyes that sparkled. His black hair fell down to his chin and his skin was a reddish brown color that was beautiful. Jacy caught Naturetta staring and snapped her out of it.
"Naturetta? Something the matter?" Jacy inquired, moving a stray lock of hair to tuck it behind her ear.
"What-no! Nothing's wrong. It's just hard for me to understand how my childhood sounds worse than yours." she confided in him.
"You got punished for cursing. That's terrible."
There was suddenly a knock on the door. Jacy went to go get it, leaving Naturetta and the Spirit Bear in the lounge. After a beat, Jacy turned to Naturetta and motioned her to come forward. "They're ready to see you again." he whispered to her. As they walked back towards the elders, Jacy intertwined his fingers with Naturetta's. She spared their hands one glance before continuing on towards the elder's tent.
"Naturetta Lightwood, you have been called upon by the elders one last time to answer one question. Will you or will you not use your command of the Spirit Bear to lead us in victory against our enemies in great conquest?"
Naturetta glanced over at Jacy who was biting down on his lip. When she looked at him, Jacy slightly nodded his head, telling her to say 'Yes.' Naturetta looked back at the Chief and held her head high. Looking him in the eye she nodded twice before saying "I will."
"Excellent!" he cried as everyone in the tent began to cheer. He turned to face Naturetta and held out a leather band with several feathers interlaced on it. Naturetta stepped forward so he could place the band on her head. As the Chief did so, he said "From this day forth, you will be known as Mother Nature, commander of Spirit Bear."
Naturetta smiled up at him as he pulled his arms back. "Thank you, Chief." Naturetta told him with a bow.
The Chief shook his head. "You will bow to no one, Mother Nature. People bow to you." and with that, everyone in the room bowed.
Naturetta watched this happen, flabbergasted. Just a few days ago she had been a simple colonist and now she was commander of an entire army. Smiling, Naturetta patted the bear's head as she soaked in the surrounding scene.
As she did so, Jacy walked up to her and hugged her around the waist. "Well, even Waya seems excited. Good answer."
"I only said yes because of you." she whispered.
"Me? Why?" Jacy inquired with a flattered smile.
"Because I don't feel like I could bare to part with you." Naturetta honestly told him with a genuine smile.
Smiling, Jacy said, "I told you, they wouldn't have kicked you out."
"You don't know that. And now they have no reason to." Naturetta said with a shrug.
"Naturetta Lightwood?" asked the Chief, suddenly interrupting their conversation.
"Yes?" she asked, her head whipping around to face him.
"How long before you think we can go out into battle?" he asked bluntly.
"Well, I have absolutely no idea what happens in battle. Maybe someone could train me to make me feel more prepared." she honestly told him.
"So be it. What would you recommend?"
"Someone who could teach me the basics. Enough to stay alive."
"Jacy, you know enough about our ways of war. You could teach Naturetta Lightwood the ways of a Cherokee battle and then we can go vanquish our enemies." the Chief commanded.
"Very well, Chief. Come on, Naturetta. We've much to do." and Jacy took Naturetta away from the Chief and elders who were still very excited.
AN: So that's my first chapter! I hope you lot enjoyed!