A/N Here is a new chapter yay, but just on a side note, if you have not read my other story 'we must discover and fly' please check it out. I just updated it and was kinda bummed on the small amount of reviews I got but those that I did get; I want to say thank you reviewers.
The journey to the west proved to be, to us, a journey that was one that demonstrated resilience, courage and fervor. The little flatboard, on which we had currently resided, was rocked forward and back, nearly overthrowing us into the embrace of death. It seemed to us the weather was against us as we had to constantly unload our baggage and 'shack in" in Alice related terms, in the plentiful yet shaggy motels located on the way.
It was of pity and sadness that I found myself being constantly bombarded by the surplus of ungentle men whom had constantly asked how my "dowdy" was, it was of obvious nature why I didn't reply.
It was through times that I laid amongst the fading yellow cots that I often questioned where I was heading to in this life. It was of easy nature for a young lady, such as I, to fall victim to the notorious crimes that fled rampant in our country. The south was a hard boned area, full of ungraceful men, revengeful slaves and hateful planters. My father had tried to keep us away from such mordacious happenings and of consequence we were truly shielded yet clearly segregated.
Hateful name-calling had been the Swan family's reward.
"Black lover", "slave advocate" many others of which I cannot bear to reminisce about were slain and loaded upon my father's, and thus our family backs. My brother, Michael had loathed our father and often questioned if the names were true. Was Charles a black brother? Michael was soon joined by my mother who always, on all occasions, questioned her husband's objectives.
My father had ignored such obscenities but in private he had told me, when I was no older than the years of three, to always respect and regard men, even black, as people, as I. I had no area of understanding what he had meant but I did listen and when I saw the slave's labor at the delicate age of six, I had cried and embraced mother, whose only respond was to not waste my tears for they were not needed for such animals.
"The South is a slave haven" I had heard these sayings more and more as the flat board headed northwest. The speakers usually, more rather than less, threw hateful looks our way. I could not comprehend what was of us, which immediately sanctioned us Southerners but nevertheless I paid them no heed.
It was now of mid-day on which my crew was floating into. It seemed to us that as of sad consequence of location we would be sleeping on the flatboard. We were travelling into rural land; the Mississippi was to be of sight upon my eyes, to become deeper and alluding to the color of green. It was of consequence of this that I now currently found myself cowering next to Alice.
"Do you jester sharks strive in those waters" my voice shook as a wave rocked our travel object, a dangerous consequence of the steamboat now racing past us. I sometimes longed to be on it, especially through the waters of which we were travelling, but alas I was not one of wealthy descent.
"I don't think sharks usually strive in fresh water and the rare one spotted has never seemed upon great size and weight. Plus if any of us ladies come across any problems I am of quite surety that my strong mighty husband will rescue us." Alice finished with a flutter of her dress and a succession of blinks upon her eyelids. I had discovered long ago that Alice often capered with or against her husband. Unlike most husbands of today, Mr. Murray or Jasper on which he had practically ordered me to address him as, took his wife's drollery all in stride. This is what I had hoped to find one day, a husband which looked upon me as an equal, a personified mate of personality and genius, not of one of possession and inferior qualities.
"Why of course Alice, I would never allow one such as precious as you and Isabella to be swallowed, aye, I would fight off the mighty beast myself" with that Jasper started to flex his muscles, grinning and making good fun. I found myself laughing more and more with these people, more than I can say with my family. There methods though were sometimes strange compared to mine, unusual since we were of same domestically.
I had learnt that they weren't much for tradition, and addressed each other by their first names, in response to my question of why this was so, Casper, Jasper's father, responded with "There are of two Mr. Murray's and Mrs. Murray's upon this vessel, I think such things would get confusing."
I had agreed with him wholeheartedly.
In respect to this I had kindly asked them to refer to be as Isabella or just Bella.
I did not begin to relax upon the vessel until we finally landed upon a rough bit of land off the shore, which was concentrated of sand particles but was of a beautiful scene.
It was upon this that we finally settled down to supper of cold biscuits, jam and bits of beef from which we had gathered from one of the local villages we had passed on our way since our original foods stuffs had dwindled to null in about three passing suns.
"God we thank you for this food and pray it will do our bodies well" after the supper prayer was said by Mary, we ate and enjoyed every morsel as we had not had food from early morning. The cold biscuits tasted of the home of God, as every bit melted and simmered in my mouth, while the jam was an explosion of fresh fruit and cane sugar.
"I reckon it will take us two more days to make it through this part of the Mississippi to our destination on which we will have to walk on foot" Jasper spoke up after everyone was done and the dishes were cleansed and tied back together. I had recently learnt that he was a cartographer, a very educated and well-read position. I had to admit I succumbed to jealously when I heard, I was of great coveting when it came to something new.
I figured when the time came I would ask him to teach me the things of which he have known.
It was nearing afternoon when we settled back on our flatboard to continue our quest, full and happy of new discovery.
Edward POV
It was of obvious nature that I finally figured out where my beloved was heading. The west….the wild west, the haven for the rest of my people and the people of those people. I had to admit I was saddened that she would take it upon herself to invade our land, the land which we had domesticated from the beginning of time itself.
This grief did not last long as I realized that she would, in passing, more rather than less, meet up with my people and be attacked as we were highly territorial and did not take kindly to strangers invading our lands, especially after the hearing and telling of stories of one such as Christopher Columbus. We were designed to eradicate any threat to our peaceful lives. This was of reason on which I myself believed but I could not dwell on what my reasoning was, my angel was heading into deep and almost hazardous trouble. This was something I did not think of myself of actually being able to receive her from.
It was while walking through the rough path of the earth that I figured out what was more likely to work. It was just if I could prove my ethnicity.
My angel was turning out to be quite a troublesome handout, but in my heart I knew it would be worth it in the end.
A/N Thank you for reading and for all those reviewers who reviewed my previous chapters.
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Silverdust101