Chapter One – A New Path

"Ticca come here!" shouted Odawa.

I was running. I was an eagle in mid flight, nothing could catch me. Not even my brothers Nantego and Odawa, who I could hear cursing and panting heavily behind me. It was pure joy, racing through the vibrant green jungle feeling the wind soar through my long black hair as they tried to overtake me.

"You'll never catch me!" I shouted back at them laughing to myself, they didn't call me Wind Whistler for nothing. I hurtled towards the main hut where I knew my mother would be, no doubt she would just send me away, but my feet were moving so fast it would be impossible to stop before reached it.

"Mother!" I said as I charged into the hut. Unsurprisingly she did not seem too pleased to see me. She was stood with two broad men, representatives from the surrounding tribes. Mother had made a treaty with them in order to create some protection between us the natives and the pale faced settlers who lived closer to the water.

"What is it Ticca?" my mother said in an overtly calm voice.

"Nantego and Odawa are chasing me. They want me to do there jobs." I know it was a little trivial for me to be whining. I was thirteen years old after all, I didn't need to come to my mother every time my brothers annoyed me. However, their constant persistence was becoming somewhat irritating.

Just on cue my brothers burst into the hut.

Nantego was the oldest, he was fifteen and looked a lot like my father, he had the same muscular balance and shape to his body but with my mothers copper brown skin and black hair. Mother would say that Odawa looked more like my grandfather than her, he was fourteen and tall for his age.

According to the elders, both my brothers were destined to be great warriors and huntsmen. Already they were showing promise. Nantego had once taken down a stag by himself with only his arrows, his shot was practically deadly.

People would say that I looked a lot like my mother. We shared the same dark skin, black hair and almond eyes. I could almost guarantee though that in personality we were different. My mother had a commanding presence, when she spoke those around would listen; she was persistent in maintaining peace with the pale faces, I disagreed. Why should they come and invade our lands? Cut down our trees and attack our people? In their own tongue they called us savages, but they were the destroyers – not us.

"Out. All of you." said my mother sternly, with a look that clear showed that we would be dealt with later due to interrupting an important tribe meeting.

The three of us left the hut with our heads hung low.

Once out of earshot of the hut Odawa shot me a dirty look. "Now see what you've done Ticca. Mother will surely give us more work to do now daqatulaka."Idiot.

I crossed my arms, "Well you should have thought about that before you tried to out run me, big brother."

Nantego held out an arm towards Odawa, preventing his temper from getting the better of him.

"That's enough, from both of you."

And before they could say anything else I had turned and started walking away.

I wandered down to the river where I climbed into an empty canoe and began gliding across the still water. The river had always been my favorite place to come and think, not many people came down here, they preferred to stay up in the village. The only people who came down here were porters to carry things down by canoe and those who speared fish further downstream.

I inhaled the magic scents around me, the fresh dew on the trees, the salty smell of the sea and the old Shaman burning fragrant herbs in the village in honor of the Great Spirit. I was too absorbed in my surroundings to see the visitor approaching at the river bank.

"Ticca!" called Hopi impatiently. Slowly I came out of my daydream and directed the canoe towards the bank. Hopi was my best friend, he was tall for his age and proud son to Meskawaki, he was my second cousin. When the wood of the canoe hit the edge of the bank he climbed in behind me.

"What is it Hopi?"

"Did you see the two warriors from the Patawomeck and Xualae tribes go into your mother's hut? I heard from old Shaman Wedego that they're preparing for an attack by the pale faces."

I frowned and carried on pushing my oar through the smooth water. "But surely we can fight them off, we still have the treaty between the tribes. And with so many warriors we can easily defeat them. Even if they have fire spouters."

Though I had never actually seen one, there were always stories of the weapons the pale faces had which released fire on their enemies and burned through the skin.

"Word is that the Chieftons don't trust the alliance. They want something permanent to secure the union."

"Like what?"

There was a long pause. Hopi appeared to be looking for the right words.

"Word is...well, they're saying that Pocahontas may have to arrange a betrothal between her children and the other Chiefton's children..."

It took a few seconds for me to understand truely what he was saying.

"Wait – my mother wants to marry me, Nantego and Odewa off to the the children of the Patawomeck and Xualae chieftons?"

"Well, only two of you. I'm guessing you and Nantego. Nantego being the heir and the fact that the Xualae cheif only has sons."

I didn't know who to be more angry at. My mother for allowing such a thing to happen or stupid Odewa for escaping the same fate as Nantego and me. Surely it couldn't be true though – I'd heard plenty of times how my mother had rejected her own arranged marriage to Kocoum. How could make me live the future that she rejected?

"Ticca?" said Hopi softly. I snapped up my head, realising that I hadn't said anything in several minutes. The canoe was still in the water, I had stopped rowing. "It's not all bad you know. I mean you'll probably not have to marry him sraight away. You haven't seen sixteen summers yet."

My heart swelled in fondness for Hopi. Even in times like these he was still trying to cheer me up and see the brighter side. If I ever had thought of having to marry someone, I had always just assumed it would be him – not like I would ever tell him this though.

I gripped onto the oar and directed us to the river bank. "I suppose I should go talk to my mother."

It seemed the Great Spirit was taking me along a completely new path.

"Ah Ticca. I was wondering how long it would take before I saw you. I expect you have been talking to Hopi. That boy always seems to know everything before the elders do."

My mother seemed calm and cheerful but I could see behind her lovely dark almond eyes that she was stressed and trying not to show it.

I wasted no time in bringing up what was on my mind. "Mother, Hopi told me about the...arrangements you had to make with the other Chieftains."

Mother let out a deep sigh and sat on the floor of the hut which was layered with buffalo skin. She patted the floor making me join her. I reluctantly sat.

"Ticca. Do you understand how much of a threat the pale faces pose to our tribe? Our family? I do not want to create a war, but you must understand that I must take precautions to secure the safety of our people. And the Chieftains will only join in an alliance with us if there bond formed between our families."

"But Mother-"

"I know what you are about to say Ticca. You wish to bring my own past against me. Yes, your Grandfather wanted me to marry Kocum, anou gons'." Little Star. "But it did not have the purpose that yours will bring. Your marriage will secure the future of our tribe. This is your path my dear."

"But what if I don't want this path Mother?" I asked. Mother smiled and stroked my hair softly.

"This is a test from the Great Spirit young one. Our path is never meant to be easy."