"Aiyana! Come on! We have to go back home, the sun has set and I am sure those plants will still be here tomorrow!" Dyani called towards her sister, who stood bent over a plant, stroking its leaves, her thick dark golden hair cascading along her back reaching an impressive mid-thigh length. Dyani's own black hair was around the same length. It was an Indian tradition to have their hair that long, or at least their mother, Pocahontas, had it that long, and their father insisted that they followed the custom.
"But the spirits brought me here today, I will have to pick it now." Aiyana replied turning her startling blue eyes towards her sister, pleading. Although sisters, the two looked completely different due to their mixed heritage. Dyani had gotten her mothers colouring with black hair, bright brown eyes, and tanned skin. However her facial features were more European, with a long nose and thinner lips like her dad. Aiyana had gotten her fair hair and eyes from their father, John Smith. Even her skin was just a fraction lighter then that of Dyani. However her eye shape, nose, and lips showed her Indian side. They made an odd but beautiful family.
"Then why are you waiting? Pick it. Mother will have prepared dinner already and she will be mad if you come late again." Dyani sighed at her year younger sister. Yet again Aiyana protested.
"But something tells me I have to wait a little longer, it's not right yet."
"Oh for Heavens sake! Please make a decision or else I am leaving you here." A sudden wind came through the trees engulfing the girls. Aiyana closed her eyes and breathed in listening to whispers. She was far more spiritual then her older sister and brothers. Frequently she accompanied her mother to Grandmother Willow and the healers in the village said she would make an excellent healer. Dyani however was an artist and instead of using plants as medicine, she used them for paint. Their father who cherished his children dearly, loved to spoil them and had recently brought them gifts from a trip back to England. For Dyani he'd brought a large set of oil paints, brushes, and paper. For Aiyana he'd brought different medicine boxes where she could keep her collection of herbs in. Also a book with notes about medicine used in England and where she could add her own findings in.
Aiyana opened her eyes again once the wind passed and reached out to pick the plant completely with its roots. Also she picked a few different ones around it and carefully put them in her deer hide bag.
"Thank you!" Dyani said and started to head back towards the village.
"And thank you for being patient." Aiyana mumbled as she followed her sister.
They lived in the village of their mother's tribe. Their mother would never be able to live in Jamestown and their father loved the Indian culture far more than his own. He had accustomed towards generally wearing the same clothes as the Indian men in the village. However sometimes he would still wear British clothes especially if going into Jamestown. But the village had accepted him as their own, especially after he saved Powhatan, their chief and father of Pocahontas. He'd also learned Algonquian and thus the family would converse in both Algonquian and English at home. The girls just like their brothers, Chaska, Aranck, Helaku, and Tuari, also had an English name that their father referred to them with, but only when he was upset at them. Dyani's middle name was Rebecca and Aiyana's middle name was Sarah. Their parents had given it to them not only to show their mix of heritage but also in case they would go to England. But to this day they never had. Their father sometimes travelled back to take care of business there or if the King summoned him. Pocahontas had only gone once, which hadn't been a fantastic trip, however their parents rarely spoke of it. What they did know was that their mother had been engaged twice before marrying their father. The first had been another Indian man called Kocoum, who had been killed when their father had been in Virginia the first time. Again their parents remained vague about it, as it was obvious they didn't want to be reminded of such times. Their mother's second engagement had been with another English man called John Rolfe who apparently had been a handsome and dashing fellow. But once Pocahontas and Rolfe had travelled back to Virginia, he wasn't able to adapt to the different lifestyle. It lead to frequent fights between them. King James of England had summoned him back for a business trip, but it made the two realize that perhaps they weren't made for each other. Thus through the exchange of letters the couple called off the engagement and Rolfe stayed in England. It wasn't long after that, that John Smiths ship once again arrived at the port of Jamestown, now for once and for all. The Smith children found the story of their parents magnificent and dreamed to find the love of their lives too, though without the complications their parents had gone through.
They reached their home on the top of the hill looking out on the river and went inside. As Dyani predicated their mother had indeed finished their dinner, consisting of smoked fish, steamed corn and boiled potatoes. Their brothers were already sitting at the table. Pocahontas looked at her daughters sternly.
"It's past sunset." Her statement was enough to make the girl bow their heads.
"We're sorry mama. But I told Aiyana we had to go but no, she had to pick a plant." Dyani spoke rolling her eyes at her sister.
"But mum, the spirits, they told me…"
"The spirits told you to be late for dinner?" Pocahontas asked raising her dark eyebrows, yet deep inside understood the internal struggle her youngest child was going through. It was hard sometimes to defy the spirits when they are so attached to you.
"It is a new plant that I have never seen before. I didn't want to ruin it!" Aiyana explained. Dyani opened her mouth to interject, but their father interrupted by coming into the tent.
"Finally you girls are back and God, doesn't it smell delicious here!" John Smith said grinning before kissing his wife and settling down on the ground by the fire, where the food lay, waiting to be eaten. He was wearing his British clothes.
As the rest of the family followed his example and started eating, John was questioned about his day.
"Why were you at Jamestown today papa?" Aiyana asked, looking into the blue eyes, she'd miraculously inherited.
"A new ship of settlers arrived this week, so they needed my help with questions about documents, work, housing, everything really. So nothing new, even their reactions to my marriage was the same. Ha! If only they knew what an amazing wife I have and such wonderful children, they wouldn't be so horrified. Perhaps I should bring you all with me tomorrow."
"Oh yes papa! Can we? Mama," Dyani exclaimed, "it's been a while since I have been to Jamestown!" Hopefull the girl looked at her mother with pleading light brown eyes. Pocahontas looked from her husband to her daughter. She sighed.
"Alright, you can go, but don't cause any trouble, relations have been cold recently. Do any of you wish to go too?" She looked at her sons. The oldest twins, Chaska and Aranck shook their dark heads.
"No thank you mother, we've said we would help repairing the fishnets for the season," Chaska answered, his twin nodded in agreement. The boys of 23 were non identical twins, yet they still looked very similar. Both had long, thick, dark hair and tanned skin but what set them apart were their eyes. Chaska had forest green eyes while Aranck's were a light silver colour, a colour their mother found so dazzling that she named him after the stars.
Helaku was born a year after the twins. Born in the middle of summer he was named after the sun. Helaku had light brown hair, a blend between that of his parents. His eyes were his mothers, mysterious dark eyes. Just like his eyes, Helaku was a bright but mysterious boy, which currently had attracted the attention of girls both in the tribe and in Jamestown. But he was shy around girls, and preferred the company of sailors as he aspired to be a captain just like his father. He too shook his head.
"I'd love to join, but I've made plans with Thomas to work on Catherine."
Finally Pocahontas turned to her youngest son and Aiyana's twin Tuari. Tuari was the oldest of the twins, and both were very spiritual. But while the siblings shared their golden locks Tuari sported amber eyes, which is why he was named after the eagles. Like his sister, he attracted a lot of attention because of his looks, but Tuari had what his mother called an old soul and acted very mature for his age. He therefore didn't pay much attention to people's comments, or even to his female admirers from in or outside the tribe. He briefly made eye contact with his sister before nodded his head to his mother.
"I will come along."
"Wonderful!" Dyani cried and smiled at her sister, "you will too, right?"
"Of course I will! Will you accompany us mama?"
"Yes darling, why don't you?" John sided with Aiyana.
"So you can show me off?"
"Yes, so I can show my gorgeous wife and show them that you're not savage but sophisticated, more so then them, I can assure you."
"Why do they think us savage papa? They don't even know us!" Dyani frowned.
"I don't know dear child, I don't know." John sighed.
Once they finished dinner, the children went to their shared rooms to prepare themselves for the next day.
In the living area John and Pocahontas sat together, curled up, listening to the sounds of Virginia at night.
"John?"
"Yes sweetheart?"
"I talked with father today. He says he has received several marriage proposals for Dyani."
"And?"
"And? John, she turned twenty last moon. She's been unwed longer than other girls, same goes for Aiyana."
"Neither have shown interest in anyone yet, I don't want them marrying someone they don't know."
"Oh John I know I neither do I, but it's hard for them. Marriage proposals are rare especially for them because they are different from others. The longer they wait, the less chance they will have of finding a partner and it's not like the British would ever dare to come near them."
"Hey, what about me?"
"You're different."
"Yeah I married a full savage."
"John! I am serious about this!"
"I know Pocahontas, I know. But give them sometime. They need to go out more, all of them should. That's why it's good they are going to Jamestown tomorrow to meet people, and they should spend more time in the village. Besides the spring festival is soon, with more tribes attending. Surely they all must meet someone that interests them. Besides I have been hearing in town that our boys certainly aren't without attention. I believe Helaku is desperately trying to escape by being on ships. He reminds me so much of myself."
"You! I can hardly believe you would ever want to escape from female attention."
"But I did! I didn't want any commitment at that time. Or worse, something that would prevent me from discovering the world! Besides they were nothing like you, my darling." He softly kissed her forehead. Pocahontas smiled at him.
"If only there were more men like you who can set aside our differences and go for the one they love."
"I know there are, don't worry darling. Now what about these proposals, do you know any of them?"
"I know one of them, his name is Hassun. His family has always wanted to become part of the chief family. His father wanted to become engaged to my half sister Sokanon, but she loved someone else fortunately. I know he has a daughter so it will only be a matter of time before he tries to tie her to Tuari"
"Well then I say it's a no for Hassun. The others?"
"I don't know."
"Let's just wait and see how these next few months go, especially after the spring festival. I am sure something will happen."
"I hope so. Oh John, I just want them to be happy."
"I know darling. Come on, you will need your rest for tomorrow."
"You mean my patience?" Pocahontas laughed at her husband.
"That too my love." John smiled, and as the couple made their way to bed he quietly whispered, "I'd like to meet the girl Chenoa."
"Why is that?"
"Chaska is smitten by her." John winked at his wife.