Chapter 19
Kara managed to push herself up onto her elbows, her stomach screaming out in protest but she just gritted her teeth and ignored it, she sucked a lungful of air through her teeth and shuffled herself backwards towards the central pole of the tent she was in, she had to clamp her mouth shut to stop herself from calling out in pain, shimmying her back up against the rigid pole so she could sit upright, her stomach muscles burned horribly, to the point she thought that she might vomit
She took another deep breath, pushing down the feeling of nausea
From her now seated position she could see outside the opened tent flaps better, the morning sun was rising and casting a pinkish hue over the mountains in the distance, she could tell from their shape that she was higher and further than she had ever been before, she stretched her neck and peered around what she could see of the tribe's camp
Pointed tents, much like the one she was currently in were dotted around, there was a large campfire in the middle of a ring of tents, it's embers still glowing, she could see animal hides hanging on wooden racks, the meat hanging on different ones, closer to the fire
There were a few tribe members who were walking around, she could see young ones, children carrying water jugs, others playing with one another
There was a suddenly rustling from right outside and in came one of the young women who had been helping her, she came to a stop when she saw Kara sitting up, a small bowl in her hands
She said something in a foreign tongue, staring wide eyed at Kara
"I don't understand" Kara said, soon realising that the woman probably didn't understand her either
The woman thought for a moment, her dark eyes glancing at the bed then back to the blonde
"Rest" she said unsurely, pointing to the bed "You… Rest" she had a concerned look in her eyes as she pushed some of her long black hair from her face
Kara shook her head, the reality of her situation finally hitting her tired mind, she could feel the tears stinging her eyes
"I just want to go home, I want to find Lena" she choked back a sob "I gotta find her"
The woman's brows came together as she watched Kara, after a brief moment of hesitation she placed down the bowl and knelt beside the crying blonde, placing a hand on her shoulder
Kara was in so much pain, both physically and emotionally that she didn't care that she could be in the clutches of the Black Mountain Tribe, all she could think about was the possibility of never seeing Lena again
A harsh voice had the woman pushing herself backwards away from Kara, the blonde's head whipped wildly to the entrance where the green eyed man stood, towering over the pair of them, his hand was on the knife that was sheathed at his side, he looked between the two of them, before finally settling his gaze on Kara
The woman said something to him in a rushed tone, he took his hand from his blade and muttered something back to her, the woman left immediately
"Why you cry?" he asked abruptly
Kara wiped her face with the back of her hand
"Because I have lost what I love the most" she sniffed
There was a pause
"The raven haired woman?" he asked, seating himself next to her and picking up the bowl and handing it carefully to Kara
The blonde nodded silently, waiting for the onslaught of disgusted slurs, but none came, she chanced a glance up at him
He shrugged "From what I saw she was taken by the man with no hair"
"Saw?" Kara repeated after swallowing some of the sour liquid "You were there?"
He nodded
"You saw what happened to me?" she asked quietly
Once again he nodded "No man should have survived what went through" he thought for a moment "The chief believes that the spirits kept you alive for a greater purpose"
Kara stared at the ground in front of her, before taking in her damaged body
"You brought me here?"
"Yes"
"Why?" she breathed
"It is what the spirits guided me to do" he said matter of factly "And…" he trailed off
"And?" Kara looked up at him, his coppery features conflicted
His fingers took hold of a braided item that was attached to the strap of the quiver that ran along his chest
"You look like my mother" he dropped the braid and shifted his weight, staring intently at the ground "She had hair the colour of the sun as well"
"Your mother was a white woman?" Kara was a little stunned but as she looked at him closer, she couldn't deny the signs
His features were a little narrower than the others, his green eyes should have been a dead give-away, his complexion though still fairly coppery was a shade or two lighter
"My father saved her from wolves and she stayed with the tribe, she made the journey to the spirit world nine winters ago" he explained, though it looked like it was difficult for him to do so
There was a long silence that hung between them, the blonde not knowing what to say to him, it was obvious that he was caught up in the painful memory
"My name is Kara by the way" she said after not being able to stand the silence any longer, trying to pull the stranger out of it
The green eyed man blinked several times and moved his eyes back to Kara
"My mother called me Christian" he shrugged again "But the tribe knows me as Matoskah"
"Matoskah?" Kara repeated slowly, the sounds strange to her "Does it mean anything?"
"White bear" he replied "My father was a hunter and killed many bears during his time on earth, and my mother was a white woman"
"Oh" was all Kara could think to say, in a way it made sense, their names were descriptions of them in a way
"What does Kara mean?" he asked
"Um, nothing… I guess"
He frowned a little at her response but dropped it, he then focused on Kara's awkward seated position
"Did you seat yourself?" he inquired
The blonde nodded
"Next you stand" he got to his own feet and stretched out his hands
"What?!" Kara exclaimed "No I can't, I can barely sit straight"
Christian looked down at her "You want to find the raven haired woman?"
Kara fell silent at the mention of Lena
"Then you stand" his voice adamant
Kara looked at his calloused hands then back up at him, she nodded then took his hands, as soon as he began to pull she cried out in pain, but she kept pushing, praying for her legs to move, they were rigid and stiff having not been used for god only knew how long, they were weak
Christian looped one of his well muscular arms around her back, hauling her upright, she was barely putting any weight on her own legs, she gripped onto Christian tightly, tears streaking her face as her entire body trembled
"Breathe" Christian reminded her "Move your legs"
Kara's jaw clenched, eyes squeezing shut
"Kara move your legs"
The blonde gasped out, so much pain ran through her, her mind was becoming heavy, it was too much
"Think of the one you love" she heard his voice close to her ear as he supported her
And instantly Kara's mind flooded with the image of Lena Luthor, how she had smiled when they first met in the rainstorm, the time she had hidden in the back room of the general store just so she could speak to Kara, the way she had grabbed her shirt and pulled her closer so they wouldn't be seen, the way the blonde's stomach muscles had tightened in that moment as she looked into the green eyes of Lena
The way she looked as they sat underneath the tree just off of her estate, the moonlight filtering through the leaves, talking about the stars, it was that night that she had her first kiss and it had been with Lena, that was the moment Kara thought to herself, that was the moment,
The moment Kara knew that what she felt for Lena was much more than friendship, she had been so afraid that Lena would not feel the same, then she ran away with her, Kara willing to give up everything to keep Lena safe, even if she didn't return her feelings, she was too important
Then the next morning, waking up to Lena kissing her so gently, she could barely believe it at first, she had thought for definite that she was still sleeping, dreaming that Lena felt the same and when she realised it was real, that it was actually happening, her heart felt like it would rip out of her chest with happiness
"Open your eyes"
She obeyed and saw that Christian was standing in front of her, his arms by his side, there was a small smile on his lips
Kara looked down at her own body, she was standing by herself
"The spirits have blessed you Kara" Christian said "They have given you the strength you need"
Kara didn't know what to think, there was no way she should be standing right now, her legs had not work for as long as she could remember after being brought here
"The spirits?" she breathed, too afraid to move encase she fell
Christian chuckled a little "The world is full of them, they are our ancestors, our guides, the Chief can explain better" he offered his hand towards her "Walk with me"
She reached out and took his hand, watching her feet as she took a step forward, the bones in her knees made an awful cracking sound, her breathing became more rapid, it was painful but she now focused and before she knew it she was walking, it was slow and she stumbled a little but Christian kept her upright as they exited the tent,
Kara squinted at the harsh morning light, her eyes not used to the brightness, the air was cool on her skin, she glanced down again this time looking at her clothing, she was in primitive clothing made from animal skins, trousers covered her trembling legs, a vest was tied tightly around her chest, her stomach unclothed, much like the other young women of the tribe, her feet were bare, the ground cold beneath her
"It is good to see you up young one"
Kara looked up to see the Chief, he had his back to her and Christian, instead looking out from the cliff's edge, the blonde's eyes widened at the view, the ground dropped out five feet from where she stood, they were high up the westernmost mountain, high above the tallest trees far down below, she looked out towards the horizon, a silent question crossing her mind
"Yes" the Chief said out of the blue, still not turning to face her "That is south, your home lies across the land"
"I-
Kara trailed off, she wanted to say that she wasn't thinking that but in truth she couldn't deny it
"Sit with me a while young one" he gestured to the space beside him on the boulder
Kara hobbled round and dropped herself ungracefully onto the hard rock, she exhaled s her body began to ache again
"The spirits have been kind to you" he gave her a warm smile before returning his gaze to the view "When they spoke to me of this white warrior I had no idea just the power you would possess"
"I don't have any power" Kara breathed out a laugh, finding the notion ridiculous
"You think not?" the Chief asked "Then tell me how a young woman survived a beating from men twice her size, thrown down a waterfall taller than any tree in the forest, pushed under the currents of the icy river below and walked on her own two feet in less than a new moon"
The Chief's old brown eyes met hers, they were filled with so much, they had seen so much
"You have been set on a path young one, you have been rebirthed"
"Rebirthed?" question Kara, her mind clicking "I- I… Died?"
He nodded slowly
"You seek someone" he continued as though it was not a huge deal that Kara had died "Matoskah tells me of another woman, one that holds your heart"
Kara found her gaze drifting out to the horizon, in the direction of the Luthor estate
"She is in danger, her family are cruel and I'm worried that they are hurting her, I need to get back to her" Kara hoped to wipe the tears before he noticed but he seemed to know without looking
"Tears do nothing to aid your path young one"
Kara inhaled deeply, steadying her breath, knowing he was right "Will you help me?" she asked
The Chief turned to her once again "Your journey is your own, but you can stay with us until you are ready to take your first step alone, whenever the spirits decide it" he offered a hand to Kara
She smiled a little and shook it with her own,
"Will you tell me about these spirits?"
He chuckled deeply "As you wish" he reached down and pulled a knife from his boot,
He leant forward and in the ground in front of their feet he began to draw symbols
"There are many different forms of spirits, those of our ancestors, the spirits of the animals that surround us and the divine spirits that created everything, from the sky to the sea" he continued to draw "Our ancestors are the ones that guide us, they see things we do not, they give us the paths we follow" he pointed to a humanoid shape with his blade
"The spirits of the animals are those that give us powers, bravery, strength, speed, they are the ones that have helped you to heal as swiftly as you have" he gestured to the drawing that resembled a wolf "Our spirit animals are what make us compatible with others as well"
Kara looked up to see him watching her closely
"Sometimes a male spirit will infuse itself with a female mortal rather than a male, it happens rarely" he focused back on the drawings "It does not mean that it is unnatural, but that the woman is meant to have the strength of a man so she can fulfil her destiny and to help others"
Kara could feel tears stinging her eyes a little as she listened to the Chief, he placed a hand on her shoulder
"People fear what is different young one" his voice resonated within her "Do not let fear stop you, your heart knows what it needs, listen to it"
Kara nodded, taking a deep breath she laughed a little and wiped her eyes dry
"But Kara you cannot rush the healing process, yes the spirits are aiding you but, there is still much to do"
"But she's in danger now" Kara argued "I can't just leave her to her family's wrath, you don't know what they have already done to her"
"Trust the spirits, when the time is right they will send you a sign, for now you must continue to regain your strength" he explained calmly "If the woman you love is as strong as you then she will survive, the spirits know a great many things young Kara, listen to them, open yourself to their knowledge"
Kara had no idea what that meant, but she knew she wasn't getting very far in her current state, she stared back out across to the horizon
"Join us by the fire tonight young one" he glanced over his shoulder and called out "Matoskah, help Kara back to her bed, she needs more rest"
Kara looked up to the young man, he helped her to her feet again
"Would you prefer I call you Matoskah?" Kara asked "I only used your other name because it was easier"
He glanced down at her as they walked back through the camp
"My mother called me Christian and she was a white woman, it makes sense you would call me that, but my spirit given name is Matoskah, that is my identity" he explained, frowning a little
"Is it painful that it reminds you of your mother?"
He shook his head "I always carry her with me, it is a burden I never want to be rid of because it gives me strength everyday" he smiled a little at a distant memory "Like you carrying the raven haired woman, does she not give you strength?"
"I guess she does" Kara admitted quietly, she had never really thought about it like that, but it was true, Lena made her brave, gave her the strength to stand, made her feel she could take on anything the world could throw at her
"Love is a powerful thing"
"Yer" Kara agreed