I'M SORRY. One: because this chapter is short. Two: I'm the slowest updater. I'LL TRY AND BE BETTER. College is just annoying...
Anyway, enjoy and please review!
When we arrived back at the camp the crowd that had gathered around a large fire stopped to look our way. I looked down at my feet, avoiding their hateful stares. Kima's grandmother placed a hand on my shoulder reassuringly and I looked up at her.
"Mugwayan will be joining us tonight, let us treat her with kindness."
I was surprised to hear her speak English to her people, but they all nodded in solemn understanding.
"Fire Lady!"
I watched Kima emerge from the murmuring crowd and rush my way, he smiled widely at me and I noticed a few teeth missing. He stood by my side and tugged at my skirt.
"You can come sit by me, Fire Lady." He said and I began following him back through the crowd.
When we sat I noticed a few people distancing themselves from me. For some reason I was hurt by this, what had I done to be treated like a disease? Thankfully, Kima's grandmother came and sat on my other side, she handed me a wood crafted bowl filled with some kind of stew. I sniffed it cautiously and actually found my stomach gurgle in response, I had not noticed how hungry I actually was. Slowly I took a small sip, it was hot that was the first thing I noticed as I burnt my tongue, but the actual flavor was quite good; it was a meaty broth, perhaps a deer of some sort. I greedily sipped at my bowl but slowed down when I realized I was nearly out. The fire blazed in front of me, a warm comfort in the cool night in an unfamiliar place. While people settled in more into their own conversations I still felt the occasional glance in my direction. But there was one that did not avert their eyes for what felt like the whole night.
The boy with the dark mustang eyes stared at me from across the fire, with occasional glances in his direction I could catch the hatred that was sometimes mixed with curiosity. When he noticed that I was stealing glances at him his face hardened, closing off any emotion and making him unreadable. If not for his gaze, I would of actually began to feel comfortable in my new surroundings. With Kima chattering away, in surprisingly good English, and his grandmother rewarding him with an occasional chuckle, I felt myself becoming less of a prisoner and more of an involuntary guest.
"Do you like the food, Fire Lady?" Kima asked, his eyes shining.
I smiled at him hesitantly. "My name is Sam. But yes, it is very good."
His eyebrows scrunched as he tried out my new name for himself. "Saaam." It came out sounding more like Som, but I laughed and shook my head.
"Sam."
He tried again, this time with success. He looked at me for approval and I gave it to him. "I'm Kima!"
I already knew but I smiled. "Nice to meet you, Kima."
He looked at me confused. "Thank you?"
I suppose greetings were a bit different for him. I felt a burn, not from the fire, but again from that gaze that was becoming all too familiar. This time I looked up and returned his gaze with full force, not flinching or looking away. There was a flicker of something in his face, but it was gone before I could tell what it was and replaced with normal hardness. A man next to him, close to his age, elbowed him, he said something to him and then began laughing hysterically, the boy looked down at his own bowl and I did not feel his gaze for the rest of the night.
"Who is that?" I asked Kima, gesturing in their direction.
"Those are my brothers, Quinn and Jake!" He said excitedly.
I couldn't imagine Jake, the one with so much hate in his gaze, could be related to the cheerfully optimistic Kima. Perhaps Quinn, he seemed a bit more light hearted as he joked with those around him.
That night I was given a private area to sleep in, it was small and the night had grown cold. I wrapped the beautifully woven blanket around my shoulders and continued to stay on watch, terrified that someone would come for me in the middle of the night. Despite my warm greeting from Kima and his grandmother, the rest did not seem all to happy with my arrival. Especially Kima's brother, Jake. I shivered, partly from the chill of the night air, but mostly from the memory of his hateful gaze. His features blurred in my memory, all except his dark and powerful eyes that could tell so much but carefully masked everything.
I sighed and rolled to my other side restlessly. I wondered if Gram and dad were up now, gathering a search party and out looking for me right at this moment. I wondered if Ace made it home or if he was still out in the vast wilderness that surrounded us. Of course I liked to think that Gram and dad were asleep peacefully and that Ace was happily in his stall eating hay. But I knew that thought was hopelessly unrealistic.
It was going to be a very long night...but it didn't have to be.
I tossed back the blanket that covered me and crawled to the opening of my small shelter. Slowly, I peeled back the corner of the flap and peeked out. The camp was seemingly empty and quiet so I crawled out. A cool breeze blew, rustling the sides of each tepee and causing me to shiver. It wouldn't have hurt to bring the blanket with me, but I wasn't going to bother with it now, afraid that I would lose my nerve. I carefully began weaving my way through the camp keeping an eye out for anyone who might be awake or keeping watch. As I made it closer to the edge I began to find it rather odd that no one was out keeping watch, especially over me. But I shook that worry away as I reached the edge of their settlement and stopped. Which way was home? I was completely unconscious when I was brought here and therefore had no idea in which direction this camp was. A growing sense of panic began to rise in me and I took a deep breath trying to push it down. All I had to do was think.
When I left home I knew I had headed south. So if I just head north hopefully I would find someone...or someone would find me. I looked up, the night was clear and all the stars shined bright, but I only looked for one. There, the north star. I smiled, feeling like I made an accomplishment.
"Leaving?"
My smile instantly vanished and I whipped around, my heart sinking. Kima's brothers both stood there, one smiled mischievously while the other just gave me his usual stare. It was easy to tell Quinn and Jake apart. Not just from their attitudes. Despite being brothers they looked very different. Jake was much taller than his brother, even though they were already both quite tall...and muscular. Jake's long hair was pulled back into a ponytail while Quinn let his hang loose, and their eyes...their eyes are probably what differed the most. While Quinn's sparkled and were filled with light, Jake's were dark and felt as though they could pierce your core and strike you dead.
I shivered. "Uh..."
Quinn stepped forward, still smiling. He stood in front of me now and crossed his arms. "Tell me...which way were you planning on going?"
I could tell he was teasing me. I straightened my shoulders defiantly, hoping I looked confident. "North," I said and pointed towards the north star.
Quinn chuckled. "That's west."
Oh. I blushed and was grateful for the dark.
"You were planning on traveling without food or water?"
"I would find something." I was starting to have enough of his teasing. He obviously thought me an idiot.
He nodded. "And what did you plan on doing with the coyotes?"
I froze. "To be honest...I didn't think about them."
Quinn threw his head back in laughter and walk towards me. He rested his hand on my shoulder and gestured back towards the camp. "Maybe you should come think about that plan a bit more."
I looked up at Jake who seemed to watch Quinn in annoyance.
Sighing in defeat I allowed Quinn to lead me back to the camp. "I suppose my plan could use a little more work."
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