Beat the Drums

by OurLoveIsForever

I was of the Tsalagi, the Cherokee. I had learned the legends of my people since I was a little child. Why was it that when I crossed the Mason-Dixon, my normal life became surrounded by unbelievable myths? The Quileutes were a weird bunch. Seth/OFC.

1. Chapter 1

Beat the Drums

By: OurLoveIsForever

Chapter One: Tsalagi in La Push

I was of Tsalagi by birth. My mother and my father were from The People. I was raised with what others would call 'Cherokee' traditions, a 'Cherokee' name, and a Cherokee appearance. Everything about me was of native decent. I carried my heritage with me in every step I took, every breath that I breathed, and every word I spoke. Perhaps it was my father who instilled in me these traits, but I guessed that it didn't matter all that much anymore.

I slipped out of my car and looked to the house before me with a tight expression. It was nothing special, nothing compared to my family homestead in North Carolina. There was one single story. It was something like a cabin, logs stacked on top of one another to appear rustic. It probably was rustic anyway. On the front porch there were three rocking chairs and a swing, which moved with the wind.

Pausing, I took in the land, so very different than the mountains I was raised in. The house was nestled in the trees, much like my own home, but there was a small clearing around the front yard. I knew that beyond that clearing and the trees on the other side, the ocean roared with life.

"Siyu (1), Heather."

I spun on my heel to see my Uncle descending the front stairs. "Siyu, Uncle Jimmy."

He was much smaller than I remembered, but that may have been due to the time between my visits, or his, for that matter. "You've grown up so much. I never thought you would get so tall."

"Grandpa was tall." I supplied, stepping toward the back of my little coupe. "I've only got a few bags."

"Well, we've got plenty of room, honey. You can go on inside, if you want. I can get these to your room." I hesitated before I went to grab my largest bag. He was kidding surely. No, I found as he pushed my hands out of the way and took hold of both duffle bags, he was quite serious. "Your Aunt Tell is waitin' in the kitchen." I took that as my cue to get out of his way.

Slowly, I walked up the wide steps, taking in the wood carvings and wind chimes before pulling the screen door open. Once inside, I could smell the wood. I could feel the age of the house as the floorboards settled with my weight. I moved through the hallway, trying to ignore the pictures that hung on the paneled walls.

"Aunt Myrtle?"

"In here, honey. I'm just finishing up this casserole." I came to a stop in the kitchen. My Aunt was standing on the far end, her hand pushing into a dark glass bowl. "I'm makin' meatloaf. I figured you would want a nice meal once you got here."

She was certainly right. A week of traveling, living on nothing but fast food did a number on my poor ol' stomach. I most likely would've stooped to petty begging to get a decent home-cooked meal by that point. "Yes, ma'am. S'gi (2)."

"No need to thank me, Heather. You know you're family. Go plop yourself down in front of that TV and relax. Jimmy'll have your room set up soon and we'll go out for supplies tomorrow." I stared at her rounded shoulders, unsure if I should actually go into the living room just yet. Instead I simply stood there, allowing my eyes to take in the light blue curtains in contrast with the dark wood and the ducks that adorned the room for decoration. Everything was so different from home.

"Heather? You alright?"

I blinked. Aunt Myrtle was right in front of me, whipping her hands on her apron. She stood so much shorter than me, I had to tilt my head to meet her eyes. "I'm fine."

"You know, you didn't have to do this."

"It made sense. I'll be perfectly fine by tomorrow or the day after. It was just a very long drive." Too long, really. A whole week of nothing but driving. "Can you call Mom and tell her that I made it here? I just wanna get some sleep. Been driving all day."

"Well, that can be arranged, dear. I put your bags in the spare bedroom. Go on and get some rest. Your Aunt and I'll take care of everything. Nothin' to worry about at all." I turned to see Uncle Jimmy standing on the other side of the living room, his arms hanging by his sides. I nodded slightly and started toward him, toward the other hallway that led toward the bedrooms. I heard him speak to her as I disappeared down the hall. Something about how I was still young.

It sure didn't feel like it.

I felt old, middle aged at least, with the way my bones popped as I walked.

Like everything else in the house, the door to the spare room was wooden, left unpainted and bare. I pushed it open. The walls were just as empty. The bed was covered in white sheets and blankets, no comforter or attempt at a theme. The blankets I recognized as my Granny Constance's work—crocheted masterpieces of multicolored yarn. I noticed that my duffle bags were sitting in the corner by the closet, wedged between the chest of drawers and the wall.

I pushed the door closed and sank onto the edge of the bed, listening intently to the creak of the springs, before laying back onto the pillows. Not two minutes passed before I fell into sleep.

"Heather, come on now, dear." Aunt Myrtle's gravelly voice called through the door. I opened my eyes blearily and stared at the ceiling for a moment before I realized just where I was. Groaning at my aching muscles, I pulled myself up and reached for the door handle from my position on the bed. She took the initiative to push the door open the rest of the way. "Aw, you look a wreck." Good, well, I felt it.

"She awake, Tell?" I recognized Jimmy's baritone from the other side of the house, most likely the kitchen area.

"Sure is, Jimmy. She sleeps like the dead." I smiled lightly at that, knowing that I really did. I was almost surprised that I had woken up without her shaking me into consciousness. Her eyes shifted to me. "I was banging on this door for about five minutes." Now that sounded more reasonable. "Your Mom told me to tell you to behave."

"I behave." I grinned, feeling much better after getting some rest. "Within reason."

She smirked as well, her wrinkled hands coming up to cup my face. "You sound like your father." I stared at her. I had known that eventually my Dad would be mentioned. Truthfully, it shouldn't have been all that shocking, but her easy mention of him made me stiffen involuntarily. "I know I'm your Great Aunt, Heather. I know that you think this isn't your home." It wasn't. "But I want you to make this room your own, honey. You're going to be here a while, right?"

I stared up into her brown eyes, the eyes that my grandfather had passed to my Dad. The same eyes that ran through our family line. I was led here. I had to be here. I couldn't say why. I couldn't give a reason that I called up my Great Aunt on the west coast, begged my mother to allow me to move, and left everything I had ever known. "I'll be here as long as you'll have me."

She smiled, the wrinkles in her face pulling away to make her appear younger. "Well, get up and get dressed. You slept through the night last night. We let you so that you could get some rest. Now, we're going to the store today." Her left hand patted my cheek before she moved away.

"Do you already have your schedule?" Uncle Jimmy asked as I made my way into the kitchen after slipping on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.

"She's not talking about school until it starts, Jimmy. No reason for her to start suffering before it's necessary." I laughed a little bit at his put out expression. "We're going to the store. Do you need anything?"

"Pick me up some Honey Buns?" He muttered, leaning down to press his lips to her cheek before focusing on me. "Don't forget you promised to work at the restaurant."

How could I forget? It was the only way that I was going to be paying for my college education. "Yes, sir. I'm actually pretty excited about it."

"Good girl. You're going to be a major help. The two of us can only handle so much. I don't know if you noticed but we're not exactly spring chickens." He laughed jovially before clapping his hand onto my shoulder. Aunt Tell pulled her purse up onto her arm as she headed for the front door. "You two stay out of trouble and try to keep some of the money in the banking account." I trotted behind my Great Aunt out the door and slid into the van's passenger seat.

"Well, kawonu anidv (3), you'll get used to it here. Small town feel that I know you're used to. At least you didn't move in with Ol' Tommy. That big apartment of his in Oklahoma would drive you crazy, I know it." I grinned as I listen to her rant about the family. "How was the performing coming along?"

"I loved it. I love the dances. It was the best time of my life."

"I did the dances too when I was your age, before I met Jimmy after the war." I barely knew the story of how Aunt Myrtle had ended up on the west coast. I just knew that she fell in love with a soldier on leave and started a restaurant on his reservation after she moved. "I always loved it."

We sped past houses, small businesses and even drove past the ocean for a little bit. I looked out the window for most of the ride, observing my new surroundings better than I could have before. The trees seemed completely different from the Appalachians and honestly, I shouldn't have been so surprised. Moss seemed to cover every surface available. Back in the southeast, there was underbrush, but not quite so thick.

Beginning to pass the ocean once more, I allowed my eyes to travel up the cliff that was in the distance. Up at the top, I noticed that there was a collection of figures milling about, glancing over the edge. I couldn't see any details, but when one jumped clear over the ledge, I leapt forward in my seat.

"What? What is it, Heda (4)?"

"The—the cliff! Someone just jumped off!" I was still at the edge of my seat, watching as another dove off more gracefully. I felt my face heating up in embarrassment. "Oh."

"The older boys like to cliff-dive around this time of year. You know, before classes get started."

"Yeah, we used to go to the river." The Oconaluftee River was the local attraction in the Great Smokey Mountains with its sparkling waters. My friends and I would've gone there every day if we could have.

"I remember that. We used to do that, too, back in the day, before there were so many tourists." She pulled into the parking lot of a small store and turned to face me. "There's plenty to do for fun around here, Heda, if you know where to look." I slid out of the bucket seat and followed her inside.

I grew up on a reservation so I understood the dynamic. I understood the camaraderie and the respect. When I stepped inside the family owned store, the sound that met my ears was somewhat comforting. It wasn't rock or country. It was the soothing sounds of native music, the northwestern variety of course. I didn't understand their language, but it was so natural and flowing. I stopped and simply listened, unable to walk at the same time. The flute was absolutely beautiful at the forefront of the arrangement.

"Heather?"

I snapped out of my reverie and smiled toward my Aunt. She nodded toward the older woman who stood behind the counter eyeing me with a curious expression. "I'm sorry. I was distracted by the music."

She seemed a bit shocked at my statement, looking up toward the ceiling as if the music would be stamped there in notes and staffs. "It is beautiful." I nodded in agreement, stepping away from the glass door and further into the shop. "I'm Emma Call. You must be Tell's great niece."

"Heather Swimmer, ma'am."

"She's been talking about you for years. Talking about her little niece who lived down in the South." I smiled, touching a brown and turquoise comforter that was folded onto a shelf. "I almost didn't believe that she came from the down there after awhile."

My Aunt snorted at the comment, leaning on the counter before answering. "Yes, and I almost stopped believing that you were going to open this shop, Em." Her gaze shifted to me as I fingered another object on a shelf. "I brought you here to get decorations for that blank slate of a guest room, Heda. So get to choosin'." And there was the southern woman I knew lingered in the years of living in the northwest.

"Yes, ma'am." I pulled the comforter from the shelf and tucked it under my arm before taking a few candles from the shelf beside it. I continued to build my room from various bits that reminded me of home, of the forests in the Appalachians.

"How's the business doing?"

"Well, you know, we get a big burst of good customers with the tourists every year. With school about to start, that's slowing down. You picked a good time to come by."

"Trade for a free week or two of meals?" My Aunt bartered as I moved toward the counter. I raised my eyebrows and shook my head. "What, gvlvquodi (5)?" I smiled a bit at her use of Cherokee. I wondered if she was doing that to simply make me feel better. "Don't tell me that you want to pay for it."

"It's only right that I pay for it, Aunt Tell. I'm already moving in with you. Let me at least buy this."

"You'll be working it off soon enough." She grinned and winked at the older woman, Mrs. Call. "She's working at the restaurant startin' in a few days from now. Tell me if that is or is not paying off her debt?"

Mrs. Call smiled and nodded, giving me a kind look. "It's best not to argue with her, Heather. I think that you should just accept now that you won't win a battle with her. Ever." My Aunt narrowed her eyes at me before I surrendered. Goodness, the woman was fierce. It felt as if my very soul would burst into flames if I so much as questioned her.

"Good girl," she patted my hand and smiled. "Emma, your boy is on the cliffs, right?"

Mrs. Call laughed out loud before shaking her head. "Oh, he is, is he? I seem to remember today being something 'important' and he 'absolutely had to go'. If I had my guess, he was fibbing." Her eyes rolled at this before she turned her attention back toward me. "It was wonderful to meet you, Heather. You're welcome in our store anytime. I'll be sure to come by the restaurant to say hello from time to time."

Was it just me or was she being overly nice toward me? I wasn't part of their tribe. I wasn't even from this side of the Mason-Dixon, but she was treating me like she would a Quileute native. "Thank you so much for everything." I motioned to the items in my arms.

"Business, just business." She waved her hand as we exited, heading toward the van once more. As I went to place the quilt, candles, and other various items in the back, I heard the revving of an engine from the road. There was loud laughter building just over the roars. Calls and yells echoed off of the trees, off of the side of the building. I turned slightly to see a truck 'round the corner moving faster than it should have with at least eight people in the back.

I watched silently as they continued to laugh. Each was huge, weighing down the back end of that truck as if they each weighed a ton or more. They all were similar in appearance, putting the boys back home to shame with their good looks. I felt myself blush at the thought. My friends back home would've nailed me to a tree for such opinions. They all thought they were the best looking men on the planet. Will, especially.

"Jake, don't be an idiot!" A voice yelled as the engine gunned again. Shaking my head, I went back to placing the items in van. Boys with cars were never something good in my opinion. I had seen plenty of people lose their lives on the slopes of the Appalachians. That's not to mention that my cousins were obsessed with classic cars. "Jake!" The laughter grew even more boisterous as I slammed the door shut and walked to the passenger seat. Aunt Tell had already climbed inside and was cranking the car.

I turned my eyes back toward the boys to see them pass by. My eyes connected with one of the many faces. Before I could see any defining features, I turned and jumped into the seat, pulling the door closed after me.

Days passed slowly. Slower than I really liked, honestly. I set up my room as best I could. It held a feel that I could've never duplicated. There was a Cherokee feel to it with what materials I had. Pictures decorated my chest of drawers. My friends back from my rez, my family, and different people whom I felt deserved a space on my coveted chest. By my closet, I had a rack for my numerous necklaces. In the corner, I had a shelf for all of my books and such that I would need for college.

"Heather, eight waters and one Coke to table thirteen!"

Sighing, I poured out water into seven glasses and grabbed a glass of ice. Hunching over, I pulled a can of coke from the fridge beside me. I had already been working for five hours straight. Really, all I did was get the drinks and wash the tables. If I really was needed, I would handle the kitchen and plate food. No one but my Aunt and Uncle took the orders. They hobbled in and out as the day wore on, balancing with the rolling servers. I made use of my own, knowing that if I tried to carry eight drinks, I would end up on the linoleum floor covered in ice and liquid.

Rolling up to the full table, I noticed that it was fuller than it should have been. Each occupant was huge beyond belief. Truthfully, I didn't mean that to be insulting. These guys were huge muscled and taller than I thought the ceiling could stand. Just to check I glanced up toward the tiled drop to make sure.

"Eight waters?" All at once, they turned to look at me. I nearly blushed at the sudden attention. Finally one raised a hand and the others followed suit. They seemed to be eyeing me before one finally spoke up.

"You're not from around here are you?" Was it that easy to spot? Point out the new kid! I shook my head in answer. There were a few guffaws and low chuckles. "Well, then I should introduce myself. I'm Collin!" I nearly jerked back when he threw his hand out.

"Maybe she doesn't want to touch your nasty hand!" One of the boys laughed, batting at his hand before I sat his water in front of him. I took hold of his fingers and smiled. "Or I could be wrong."

"Heather. Nice to meet y'all."

"Aw, listen to that! She said 'y'all.'" Another of the boys cooed. I turned my eyes to him. He seemed a bit stockier than the others, shorter and thicker. "Quil Ateara."

Now it seemed to be a pattern that they each decided to introduce themselves. As they went, they would throw out a hand or throw one up in solute. Embry, Brady, Jacob, Sam, Paul, and Kevin rounded out the group as I passed out the waters. "The Coke?"

"Are you sellin'?" One asked, Embry, I believe, before cracking up at the joke.

I raised my eyebrows and smiled. "Well, I couldn't do that in the open. That man over there's the fuzz." I jerked my head toward where a man in uniform was eating with a couple of other older gentlemen. There was a good-natured laugh before someone answered.

"He'll be here in a minute. He's getting something from the truck."

I nodded, not bothering to excuse myself from the table. I stopped by a few of the other tables to check how they were doing with their respective drinks, asking if they needed anything. "Some more tea? I'll be sure to bring that right out." I started for the cove of beverages before being cornered by Uncle Jimmy once again.

"Heather, I swear, I hate it every time they come in. Could you head back there and help Tell plate food? We've got the usual pack in here today." He laughed merrily as if at some joke and moved past, patting my arm with his free hand. "I'll get Carey's tea. Get on."

The kitchen was a train wreck. I had never seen so many plates. I understood the thought of a 'mom and pop' restaurant, we had plenty of them back east, but Tell and Jimmy took it to whole 'nother level. No one but family touched the food. As soon as the metal door swung open, a plate was in my hands and I was being maneuvered into position. "Seven plates of two Salisbury steaks, mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots. One single plate of roast beef with corn, fruit salad, meat balls, and Brussels sprouts…"

I broke a sweat, moving this way and that to plate the ridiculous amount of food. All the while she was making more demands. "Three pieces of apple pie, two pieces of chocolate fudge, one piece of pecan, one piece of coconut and one piece of red velvet." I stared at the pies and cakes in complete lock-down mode. She wanted what?

"Three pieces of apple pie," I jumped into action, throwing the three pieces into white bowls. "Two fudge, one pecan," I moved as she spoke. "One coconut and one velvet." As soon as she finished, I reached for the can of whipped cream and began to dollop it on top.

"Let me guess," I smiled. "Table thirteen."

"Those boys could eat a whole store, I bet. They're feral when it comes to food." She confirmed, starting on another order. "Take it on out, gvlvquodi. I've got seven orders goin' at one time."

"It'd be easier if you let Lena plate." I said, starting to push the serving cart out. Lena was the washer who worked in the back, the only other employee besides me. I didn't wait long enough to hear Aunt Tell's reply. I wheeled to the table once more and watched as each of their eyes became round at the smell of food.

Typical boys. They sure didn't change after crossin' the Mason-Dixon Line.

"How 'bout I ask who got the only different plate?" I wondered aloud, looking to each of them.

"Seth." They each said in unison, a couple pointing toward the empty red leather seat and the Coke that sat in front of it. I should've guessed.

"Still not back yet?"

"He must've gotten lost." The one named Jacob snorted, taking the plate I held out to him. "He's always had a lousy nose for direction." There wasa a round of raucous laughter as I found myself laughing along. "You know, they make the best pies here."

Colin agreed, taking his and starting in on it before he even placed it on the table.

"Rebel number one: Pecan.'' There were a few laughs at my 'Southern' pronounciation of 'pe-can' versus 'pe-cAHn'. "Two: Coconut?" Oh, what was his name again? Embry? "I'll keep his plate and cake, if you want, until he gets back."

"That'll be fine." I pushed the cart toward the front to get it out of the way before reach toward the second shelf for the plate. I drew up, keeping the plate in one hand and the cake in the other. I knew I could count on Lena to get the cart from the front if I asked her to. I had three other orders to handle plus drinks at two newly seated tables up front. I turned, keeping my eyes on the food instead of where I was going.

The first things I felt were the corn bits making their own individual paths down my shirt, the next was the sticky feeling of the fruit salad landing on my chest bone. As I began to fall backward, I noticed that the roast beef was floating up into the air as I was throwing it backwards when my arms lifted of their own accord. I didn't scream. I didn't cry out. I just hit the floor with a loud thump before the plate hit the floor behind me, clattering louder than it should have and spinning around on its rim, makin' the announcement that I had met the floor. I stared for a moment at the shoes of the person I had run into.

"I'm so sorry." I said to the worn tennis shoes before lifting my eyes up to look the person in the face. "Oh, geez, I'm sorry." He stared down at me with his jaw shut for a moment before his jaw opened, slack. I focused my attention back toward my shirt and the horrible feeling of being covered in fruit salad, roast beef, brussel sprouts and corn. It was at that moment, while I was taking stock of just what was covering my whole upper body that I thought to look for that blasted cake.

Laughter began to fill the restaurant as I stared at the floor in a state of shock. What a way to make an entrance! Just make an idiot of yourself in front of the lunch crowd of the whole rez. That always works. My hand went up to brush through my wet hair to find that there was something both grainy and smooth resting there. My hand stopped.

"Now, now, everyone, it's only her second day. Give it a rest, will ya?" Uncle Jimmy demanded. I could hear him shuffling from the back of the dining room. There was a hand on my shoulder. I lifted my eyes up to see that the boy I had crashed into kneeling just beside me, a worried expression on his face.

"You- You okay?"

Wow. His voice was really beautiful, I noticed, and, in order to appear less of a complete fool, I nodded, collecting the courage to laugh it off. "Yeah, I'm—I'm good." He didn't look so convinced, but instead lifted his hand to pull what looked to be a piece of corn out of my hair.

Aunt Tell was there then, almost pushing him out of the way to get to me. "Heather. Honey, are you okay? You didn't get burnt did you?" I thought about the question before noticing that my arm was stinging a little. She had already taken hold of my right arm and was placing a cool towel onto the reddening skin. "Let's get you into the back. Come on now." I pushed myself to my knees and pulled myself up. The boy, whoever he was, stood with me, his arms coming out as if to guide me up, but his hands never touched. I guessed it was for fear of getting dirty. I tried to keep my eyes on the floor but found that I couldn't help but look up and see his pained expression. I prayed that I hadn't hurt him with my carelessness.

"I'll help clean up."

"You'll do no such thing, Seth Clearwater, so sit your butt down in that chair and I'll have another plate out in a minute." Aunt Myrtle practically ordered, motioning toward the table full of boys with her free hand. I could see that half of them were standing. The other half was watching with wide eyes. Tell's other hand was forcefully guiding me toward the back hallway. The young man started to follow behind us only to be blocked by Uncle Jimmy. "Seth, sit on down, boy. We'll take care of it."

"I'm so sorry." I muttered as she pushed me into a chair at the end of the hall. The normal rumbling noise had started in the dining room area and I assumed that I was now the talk of the Lunch Crew. Soon enough the entire reservation would know. "I—"

Her hand took hold of my cheek before I realized that I had tears streaming down my face. "Darlin', you're perfectly fine. Don't worry 'bout a thing. Those boys are so laid back; they might've eaten that clear off the floor if they thought I would let them. Jim's cleaning it up and we'll have you back as good as new before dinner."

"That's in four hours." I nearly exclaimed. She smiled lightly and brought her keys out of her pocket, dropping them into my open palm.

"Go home and get a shower, change clothes. Be back here by four thirty."

I stared at her before nodding. "Yes, ma'am."

"Put some aloe on that burn too. It's just a first degree but the aloe should help it feel better." Before I could argue, she moved away, disappearing into the kitchen once more. For a moment, I fiddled with the keys in my hand before standing. A shower would help me get over making an complete idiot out of myself. Hopefully, a shower would help me become less of a walking buffet, too.

---

1 Siyu: Hello in Cherokee Giduwa dialect

2 S'gi- 'thank you' in Cherokee

3 kawonu anidv- 'duckling' in Cherokee

4 Heda- 'Heather' in Cherokee

5 Gvlvquodi- 'Dear' in Cherokee

A/N: It's the start of another story. I hope that everyone will give this a chance. I'm attempting for an American (Southern) accent plus a spin with Cherokee language and culture. Yes, taking on quite the challenge here. If there are any Southern Cherokees reading, please let me know any mistakes.

Until next time. Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think.