Two years after John Smith left for England
It was dusk and the birds and other creatures of the earth were just beginning to wake up.
The morning owl hooted a hello to anyone awake, and the sun gently began to rise from the east. The sky was painted beautiful hues of lavender and pale pink, and the wind shook the tall trees all around, bringing leaves floating from the top.
The forest was undisturbed except for one woman running through them… Pocahontas.
I wake up at the crack of dawn every morning. Despite what my new husband Kanen tells me, there is always something new to be discovered in the forest; a new path to take, a different stream to canoe down. He is older than me by a few moons, but he takes no pleasure in the beauty of the earth. It makes me wonder how different my life would be if John had stayed with me, and lived here. My love for him still burns strongly.
I wanted to wait for him and not listen to father, but he thought I was getting too old to be unmarried. He told me I was making him look like a bad father, so he chose Kanen, a hunter. I would honestly chosen Kocoum over this emotionless log. He frowns upon my adventures, so I have to do them early; before he wakes up.
I run over to my canoe and push off into the clear, smooth stream.
I need to talk to Grandmother Willow about my dream. I have a dream where I'm running down the same path and I then fall into a body of water and become engulfed. But just when I think I'm about to drown, I am taken out of the water, and the sun beams on me. It's been the fourth night of this dream, and I decided to talk to her about it this morning.
As I reach land, I climb out of my canoe and walk up to Grandmother Willow's tree. I sit down on the nearby stump and clear my throat.
She awakens and stretches her face of bark out.
"Well child, it has been a while since I've seen you," she says with a gentle smile.
"I've been busy dealing with Kanen," I tell her, and she raises an ancient eyebrow.
"He doesn't approve of the adventures I go on," I explain.
Grandmother Willow tutted with disapproval, "I wish you found another man like that John".
At the mention of John, she can tell that I've become tense, and lays a string of leaves on my shoulder.
"I'm fine," I tell her with a forced smile. "But I've come here to ask you about a dream," I say, brushing my braid off of my shoulder.
"Well what is this dream?" she asks.
"So I'm running down a familiar path, and suddenly I come to a cliff. I end up falling off the cliff and into water. But I can't swim to the surface, and I think I'm going to drown, until I am pulled up and the sun shines down hard on my body," I finish, and feel as if a sack has been cut from my shoulders.
Grandmother Willow scrunches her face up, thinking.
"Do you think it has to do with John?"
"No! I mean, I don't think so.. You told me he was probably never returning!" I say hastily.
"Think about it deeper, child. A familiar path? Then being saved and seeing the sun? Sounds like he might be returning," she tells me with a smile.
My cheeks feel warm and I think about it.
John? I still hold a love for him that is quite strong. But if he came back and found out I was with Kanen… We couldn't be together.
I get up and gather my things, returning to my canoe.
"Where are you going?" Grandmother Willow asks me.
"I have to get back before Kanen wakes up," I tell her pushing my braid which has fallen to my shoulder off of it once again.
"Pocahontas," she starts, her eyes open wide looking behind me.
"Pocahontas," a deeper voice repeats, with the same gentleness from two years ago.
My hearts races as my fear and hope comes true. As my eyes fill with tears, I turn around to see the face of John Smith.