"You're coming with me?" Samantha asked, raising her eyebrow at the Lakota boy in front of her. The two stood out by the Forbidden Creek, away from eavesdroppers and wandering eyes. "I don't need protection, Little Creek. I can do this by myself."
"I'm coming for more than just your safety." Little Creek protested, feeling his face go hot.
All this time, he suppressed any thoughts about Samantha considering they all thought she was a White girl, and someone who didn't belong in their tribe – some still held that belief considering her father was White and his boss was responsible for their destruction of their village a few days ago.
He looked at her and realized that all those times he thought about Takoda and Samantha, he was jealous that Takoda was so bold to go for someone like her, someone who would just leave eventually – but now that she was revealed to be half Lakota, he could possibly make a move. Maybe now he didn't have to be afraid of the feelings he's been suppressing.
He sighed, trying to find the right words. He never showed his feelings for Samantha at all, not even to his closest friends; especially Takoda. "I need to tell you something." He walked over slowly to Samantha, whose eyebrow continued to rise up. "Since the moment we met, and you fed me that piece of bread when it was strictly obvious I was to starve – I realized there was something different about you. You may have been called horrible things by the other men but I saw you as compassionate and that's why I helped you."
Samantha swallowed down the lump that was slowly forming in her throat. 'What is he telling me?'
"I never said nor done anything because I figured your heart belonged to someone else and that you would eventually leave to go off onto a new life." Little Creek knew that this was it, it was now or never. "But now that you're discovered as the long lost baby of Angpetu and that this could now be your home – I'm finding the strength to tell you that my feelings for you have been growing stronger ever since I met you."
Samantha felt her mouth part slightly and her eyebrows go up in surprise. Her face tinted pink as she smiled to him. "I feel the same way." She shook her head. "But you don't have to come with me because you feel like this; I will come back once I have answers about my mother."
Little Creek shook his head. "What kind of person would I be if I let the woman I admire go out into the dangerous wild during the winter all by herself?"
Samantha felt the corner of her mouth twitch in amusement. "A dick."
Before Little Creek could let a laugh out at the joke, he felt soft lips against his. His eyes widened at the sudden kiss; his face going hotter than before. Slowly, he closed his eyes and kissed Samantha back. She slipped her arms around his neck as his arms went around her waist in a gentle embrace.
For just a moment, the world disappeared and it was just the two of them.
X
"You want to what me?" Sunset asked, confused on the word. John was in front of her, in an odd position and she couldn't help but think that her White man was adorable with his mannerisms. "What does court mean?"
John sighed, feeling his face heat up in slight embarrassment. He should have asked Mato or Takoda how to propose the Lakota way – but he had a feeling that Sunset would want something more…non-Lakota.
"I'm asking you to marry me." John stated, still down on one knee while holding his love's hand. "I know this isn't your traditional way to ask but, I figured that you've been so fascinated with the White man's customs to marriage that-"
"Yes."
John looked up abruptly to see Sunset with a wide smile on her face. She kneeled down and wrapped herself around him, kissing him for the third time since they met. Their kisses were long and sweet; and she enjoyed how gentle he was with her.
This man was everything she could ask for and now that the Itancan had broken the arranged marriage, she was free to marry John – and she knew they would be supported because of his heroic acts. He would make a great husband.
'It's strange how things work out.'
So.
I thought I'd share something interesting with all of you.
My family is currently helping my grandparents move into a one-story house in this community for seniors. (They really want to go, it's a fantastic location and we've heard so many good things so they're really looking forward to it.)
My little cousin recently started going around and telling people that he's Native American. When I asked why, he said that my grandmother found some pictures of her mom and interesting items that were long forgotten.
Turns out, I might have Native South American blood in me. My family is from Chile and that is where the Mapuche people are from. We keep looking back into history and the family line (from what we can remember) and it all points to the Mapuche people, plus it doesn't help that we share facial features with them. (In fact, we've found doppelgangers of Mapuche people – we found my mother's, my uncle's, and my great-grandmother's.)
I'd thought I share this because I just found it a huge coincidence that Samantha is someone who didn't know her roots and now, my family is going through the shock of discovering our own true roots.
You may ask why we never knew about this before – well, the Mapuche people are looked down upon; just like some Native American groups in the North are looked down at so those who are related to Mapuche people are ashamed to admit what their roots are. We think maybe our family lied for so long about whom we were that we forgot our roots all together.
Anywho, short chapter but an important one – I should tell you guys, there are only three chapters left and then it is done. Don't worry; there is plans for a sequel and a possible prequel about Jones and Angpetu (tell me what you think). As I said before, I think, this story is my baby. I've nursed it for three years and have created such a backstory to it that I'll probably keep writing about it forever.
Reviews (and criticism) are, as always, appreciated.
