Chapter 15: The Seer of Life and Death
Slowly, Tanda released her sturdy grip on Pru's hands. Her earlier panic evaporated from her spirit as the sound of her lover's name fell from Pru's mouth. Nathaniel. She never called him that, never used his yengeese name. Though right now, it was all Tanda could hear in her head. Nathaniel. And then with his name dancing its way through her mind, felt the foreign feeling of a smile as it crept its way onto her lips. She took a deep breath, nodded her head to Pru and turned on her heel. She rolled her shoulders back, elongated her neck and calmly made her way through the maze of wigwams in her path. The purple and turquoise tassels of her skirt sashayed back and forth with each soft sway of her hips as she walked in search of her baby's father. Nathaniel.
Tanda kneaded the pads of her fingers against her belly as she trudged through the ankle deep snow. She lifted her eyes to the sky, large fluffy snowflakes had begun to fall once more from the heavens. Gracefully they floated down upon her, instantly melting along her warmer than usual honeyed skin. Each tiny crystal acting as a salve for her soul, rinsing away her panic and replacing it with a fragile peacefulness. And for the first time in months, a soft low giggle fluttered out from her lips into the world.
"What could possibly be funny, Tanda?"
The miserably familiar voice halted her in her tracks. The balls of her moccasin covered feet digging into the ice crusted snow as she lowered her head from the sky and stared into her mother's irritable features. The peacefulness that she felt only a moment ago vanished and was quickly replaced by a fiery burn that began to course through her veins as she peered into her mother's cold onyx eyes. Tanda gripped tighter to her belly and retreated several steps away from Enola, her instincts to flee the space encircling them momentarily overtaking all of her other thoughts as with each painful step she took was reminded of the violence that had been imposed upon her only a mere twenty-four hours ago.
"You're pregnant!"
"I am," Tanda said, rolling back her shoulders so she might stand a bit taller, refusing to cower under her mother's vengeful stare.
"I knew this would happen. I knew that boy would spoil you and all of our chances. Ugh!" Enola spat, throwing her hands up in the air at her.
"Our chances? Who is this our you are referring to?" Tanda spat back at her, though already knew what she was referring to.
Enola froze in front of her. The features of her weathered face growing darker and without any warning, gripped tightly to Tanda's shoulders and threw her down to the ground. "How dare you speak to me that way. How dare you disrespect me. That damned boy has ruined you with his lust and now look at you, pregnant and unwed, left completely alone to take care of yourself and your bastard baby!"
"Shut up you witch!" Tanda hollered back. Her brave defiance of her mother's words reciprocated with a nasty kick to her left side. And then another, and another. Sharp, searing pain tearing up and down her body. Each new strike ricocheted against her bones, forcing her to gasp for air. Until, Tanda found herself curled in a ball on the dusty ground of her wigwam with tears of agony streaming freely down her golden eyes. She lifted her head between strikes, peering up to see how far she was away from the wigwam's softly swaying buckskin flap. In her moment of distraction, she did not notice her mother crouch down beside her. Suddenly her head whipped backwards, her hair being forcibly tugged hard.
"Look at me girl!" Enola demanded, gripping tighter to Tanda's long, silky hair. Her fierce grasp makes her daughter yelp in pain. "You will go to the nenpike's wigwam and combine the necessary herbs to rid yourself of this…this…disaster."
"It's a baby, mother! Not a disaster!" Tanda nearly screamed at her, once more rewarded with a painful kick to her already bruised side as her mother quickly leapt to her feet. Then just as she reeled back to kick her again, Tanda reached up grabbing ahold of her mother's leg and threw her off balance. Enola landed with a hard smack against the ground. The small pause in her beating, giving her the time she needed to swiftly hop up onto her feet and run from the wigwam, breathless and frightened for what her future held.
"Mother," Tanda dryly said.
"Show me the herbs?"
Tanda sucked in a deep breath and narrowed her eyes at Enola, "You can find them scattered across the nentpike's wigwam floor." She covered her womb with her palm and straightened her back, "I am keeping my...and Nathaniel's child." As soon as the words left her lips, Tanda could feel the air shift around them. Their bodies stuck in an icy air pocket, their warm breath seeming to form a wall of icicles in the air between them. Mother Nature's own divine intervention, her way parting mother and daughter, perhaps forever.
Enola reached for Tanda, her long, bony fingers arched like makeshift claws. "How dare you disobey me!" She hissed, just as Tanda moved further away from her grasp.
"Do not ever touch me again," Tanda softly spoke, her voice just above a whisper. She could feel the prick of tears in her eyes. Her next words and their impact on both hers and her mother's lives, lingering just past her lips. If she says them, she faces a future of uncertainty. If she holds them in, she knows what her life will be like. She knows her mother will have her way and the life inside her will be extinguished, leaving Tanda forever with a hole inside her soul. Tanda gripped tighter to her belly, pulling at all her inward strength and said, "For I am no longer your daughter. I will no longer be your savior or the savior of my family. Seek out your prize warrior some other way, Mother." She paused, her fingers fanned out against her abdomen. She could feel the adrenaline as it pumped its way through her veins, pushing her forward and giving her the courage to continue. And it was that very moment that she felt a mild flutter inside her. A tiny swish and swirl of movement as her child applauded her courage from within her womb. Tanda gasped, breathless from the feel of her unborn baby tickling her insides. And her eyes fell shut for a fleeting moment as she envisioned a little girl with long raven hair and bright blue eyes twirling around in small circles, surrounded by the glorious gift of family. Nathaniel's family. The thought spread like wildfire across every feature of her face, and she could not stop the beaming smile that danced across her lips as she envisioned it. For it was indeed liberating.
"Tanda?"
The sound of her name on her mother's twisted lips forced Tanda from her reverie. She flung her lashes back and stared unwaveringly into her mother's dark eyes, silently wishing that she could share this moment with her as mother and daughter should. With joy, love and an unyielding embrace. Though after seeing the contorted expression upon her mother's face, knowing it to be impossible said, "This baby was created through love. She is pure and innocent and deserving of everything this life has to offer her. And I will do what you have never done." Then as a thousand childhood memories exploded inside of her, a single tear fell from her right eye, gliding easily down her cheek to her chin. Where dangled for a moment before becoming yet another tiny ice crystal drifting quietly through the frigid air. "I will love her...unconditionally." And before her stunned mother could utter even one more word, Tanda turned on her heel, and with her head held high, calmly strode away. And for the first time in her life, she felt truly free.
Nathaniel weaved in and out of wigwams, his mind set on finding Tanda even before seeing to his father's request. Why Uncas could not complete the mundane task, he will never know. All he could do was focus on his sweet girl. Tanda had been a constant in his thoughts for months now, even years. Their unique love affair had taken him to soaring heights and crashing lows. As he maneuvered through the village, he thought of the first time they made love, how his inexperience had made him feel inadequate as a man and how she seemed to know exactly what to say and do to renew his confidence in himself. He smiled to himself remembering her face in that moment, illuminated in the moon's soft pearly glow. Sweat droplets riddled along her hairline. She was beautiful, absolutely beautiful. Nathaniel sighed, his thoughts suddenly shifting. As with everything in nature, alongside the good there is also the bad and he thought of the moment she had devastated him with her refusal to marry him. How his whole body burned in that moment and his throat went raw as bile rose into his mouth. His heart reeling from the overwhelming sadness of despair. It had been hard for him to go on after such a painful disappointment. Their last separation being the hardest thus far for them both. Always he pictured her in his mind happy, content somehow in her choice to stay at the village with her family. But after his hushed conversation with Chaska, he worried that all the perfectly crafted images in his head of her swimming with her sisters, laughing and dancing to the thunderous, festive beats of the drums had all been a ruse in his mind to protect him from believing the morbid truth of what he really left her behind to face. And suddenly his urgency to seek her out became magnified by his concern for the state in which Chaska described her only yesterday. The idea of her crying, alone in a frozen forest had been tormenting him all night. Dark thoughts of what might have driven her to such despair plagued his usually peaceful dreams, intensifying his exhaustion. Nathaniel raked his hand through his loose hair, tugging slightly at the roots and shook his face back and forth in a fruitless attempt to jolt his senses into alertness. He strode a few more steps, eyes briefly closed with fatigue and as he blindly rounded a wigwam, collided head on with a small, soft body. Even before opening his eyes, Nathaniel reached out and took hold of the person's shoulders to steady them from falling over from the impact of their collision. When finally he focused his eyes, a wide, wild grin instantly overtook his features. "Tanda," he said as he pulled her into his arms.
At the feel of Nathaniel's arms wrapped around her, all of Tanda's anxiety vanished. She buried her face in his neck, long, wavy wisps of his hair tickled her nose and cheek. "Hmmmm...," she murmured against his skin. His musky perfume filtered up into her nostrils. The sweet stench made the hair on her arms stand tall along her skin. For months she had been living in a near constant state of unrest, though no longer. He was here, returned to her. Tanda fisted the back of his shirt as she molded her body into his. Abruptly overtaken by a need for him to invade her soul and she began feathering light kisses all along his neck.
Nathaniel turned his head into hers, eyebrows raised in intrigue and whispered questioningly into her hair, "Tanda?"
The sight and feel of him sprouting new tears from her eyes. Tanda tilted her head up towards his ear, her lips hovering just below his soft lobe and in a breathy voice whispered, "Please Nathaniel…please hold me…" Without another word needing to be spoken, Tanda felt herself being lifted off the ground. Her slim legs dangling over the sides of Nathaniel's strong arms as he carried away from the view of any curious eyes that might be upon them. She could feel the pads of his fingers press deeper into her flesh as he shifted her more securely in his arms. Tanda laid her head atop his shoulder and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Her rigid muscles were finally able to relax, knowing she was nestled protectively in his arms.
Nathaniel zigzagged through the village, with no wigwam of his own to call home, he headed to the next best thing and moments later found himself pushing aside the flap to Chaska's currently unoccupied wigwam. He crouched low to the ground with Tanda still nuzzled tightly in his arms, slipped past the buckskin flap into the wigwam and slowly climbed inside. The air in the wigwam was thick with the smell of smokey, burnt wood. A small fire still splitting innocent pieces of kindling to bits within its perfectly structured stone fortress. Nathaniel shuffled around the tiny space, to where they left the soft hides they had used as coverings the night before, and carefully sat down upon them. He curled his long legs in and loosely crossed them, leaving a small opening in the center where he gently placed Tanda. The moisture from her wet tears, seeping through his shirt and saturating his skin. He had never seen her like this before, with this unusual combination of sensual sadness radiating off of her like a lush forest set ablaze. It distressed him. "Shhh...," he whispered as he stroked her head with his palm and snuggled her closer against his chest. "Shhhh, my sweet girl. I'm here now. Shhhh," he softly cooed into her ear. "Whatever this is about...you are not alone anymore. I am here with you."
Tanda lifted her face away from his neck for the first time since she first buried it there and observed the concerned look splayed across his sharp features. His usually bright blue eyes sullen and red rimmed with sadness. Dozens of little worry lines had crept their way along his forehead and chin, making him look more than twice the tender age of seventeen. Tanda pulled her arms around from his back and gingerly traced the outline of his face with her fingertips. Even in this state of discontent, his raw beauty is devastating. How could she have ever refused him? How could she have chosen not to walk beside him in his world? No matter where their path would have led them, at least they would have been together. And with her emotions already so fragile, Tanda felt another wave of angst befall her as more tears slipped past her long lashes and down her smooth honeyed skin.
Nathaniel furrowed his brows, the vision of her like this so tragic his heart could barely stand it. "Please tell me, Tanda," he begged as he untucked the back of her shirt and wiggled his right palm against her scorching skin. The unusual warmth of her skin took him by surprise as he gasped at the burning sensation against his palm and promptly questioned, "You are so warm...are you not well?" His eyes flooded with concern.
Tanda's body went rigid for a moment, his unknowing words reminding her of the precious life blossoming inside her. It was time to tell him, right now before another moment or another word slipped by.
Nathaniel could feel her body tense beneath his touch. He stared into her eyes, desperate for her honesty. Slowly, he withdrew his hand from her back and brushed his thumb along her skin, gently removing the moisture from her cheeks. "Tanda, please tell me what's wrong. I only want to help you. To be here with you. To share whatever it is that weighs on your heart," he pleaded as he took in the heartbreaking look on her face. "I am in this together with you. Always," he added and to his delight saw a ghost of a smile play its way across her lips.
"Nathaniel…," Tanda began.
Nathaniel immediately raised his eyebrows high into his forehead, a snarky smile appearing on his own face and teasingly replied, "Nathaniel? When have you ever called me Nathaniel?"
A quick, crazed sort of giggle escaped Tanda's lips and she lowered her forehead against his own. The pair peering at each other from behind their long dark eyelashes. Tanda brushed the tip of her nose against his own and released his face, smoothly took ahold of each of his hands in hers and placed them just above her swollen and achy breasts. Then slowly she began to glide them down along her body. His fingers lightly grazing atop the soft curves of her thinly covered skin, until they laid just above their conjoined hips. Tanda stared into his gorgeous eyes, wondering for a moment if their child would be gifted with the same cerulean blue hue and as if affirming her inner thoughts, felt a small delicate flutter inside her womb. She gasped softly and with a wide smile whispered into his face, "I wish you could feel it."
Nathaniel smiled too, finally seeing her at ease and replied, "Feel what…my sweet girl?"
Tanda sucked in a small breath, preparing to answer though quickly found herself forcefully jolted into the air. Nathaniel's firm grip squeezed against her hips as he pivoted her off of his lap and into the air, her body colliding with a thud on the wigwam floor. Before she was even able to collect herself, she felt a rough smack to her side, knocking her already shaky limbs flat along the ground. Tanda rolled her head in the direction of the impact she had just taken, the ensuing scuffle forcing her into absolute alertness as she observed Nathaniel struggling on his back beneath another Indian. The two opposing warriors both fight the fate of the blade that now points directly down towards Nathaniel's throat.
Nathaniel grunted loudly as gripped the wrists of the Indian above him. It had all happened too quickly. One minute he and Tanda were sharing a moment in time and the next, he could see a small break of light as the wigwam flap shifted to the side. He would have thought it to be Chaska if not for the distinctive hair style of the menacingly approaching Indian. The tight knot of hair on top of his head giving him easily away as a Huron. Immediately he threw Tanda off him, in a frantic attempt to better protect her. The minimal amount of time it took for him to do that left him with nothing more than a second to brace himself for the incoming impact, as the Huron lunged himself through the air at him. No time to grab for Killdeer or even the knife firmly secured on his belt.
"Ahhhh!" Nathaniel howled between gritted teeth as he tried to turn the sparkling steel blade away from his neck and towards his assailant's body. The blade's pointed edge delicately sliced against his flesh as he fought the Huron's strength, leaving a thin trail of warm blood seeping from the shallow gash along his neck. Nathaniel could feel his muscles flex and spasm in his arms. Already the burst of adrenaline that coursed through his body depleting from exhaustion. Nathaniel could see the wicked glint in Huron's eyes. He knew the warrior could feel it, the weakening of his arms. The disengage of his muscles as they began to give way to his death. Death. Nathaniel narrowed his eyes up at him, a silent refusal to be bested and with his sweat ridden palms slipping against the Huron's wrists, ferociously shoved the deathly blade away from his body. Both warrior's suddenly at the mercy of the moment, when the tip of the knife fell forcefully upon the ground, thrusting their joined hands free of the blade. Nathaniel quickly took advantage of the moment, smacking the Huron across his face with his right hand. While his left hand searched blindly along the ground for the knife.
"No!"
The sound of Tanda's petrified voice, assaulting his ears as he turned his head towards her only to see the Huron back with the knife gripped fiercely in his palm. Nathaniel threw his arm up preparing for impact, but instead felt the gentle burn of orange and yellow embers as they gilded down all around him. Quickly realizing what had happened, he popped up into a crouch, grabbed the Huron by his knotted stem of hair and took control of the knife in his hand. Still dazed from the impact of the fire's kindling striking him, the Huron blinked wildly as he felt the sharp steel thrust into his neck. His body instantly going limp in Nathaniel's grasp.
Nathaniel stumbled backwards, his foot catching on the dead warrior's leg and sending his shaky body colliding with ground. He scooted back on his palms, his eyes wide as he tried desperately to steady his raging emotions. Slowly he turned his head to Tanda, a long charred piece of kindling still dangling from her white knuckled grip. Her eyes widened with horror as the realization of what was happening beyond the wigwam flap struck her harder than she had the now dead warrior before her and quickly he reached out and lifted her paralyzed form off of the ground into his lap. Her quivering limbs vibrating rapidly against him. He brushed his hands across the sides of her face, angling her head downward and pressed his forehead against hers. He peered into her frightened golden colored eyes, his lips just barely touching her own and whispered, "You saved me."
Tanda cupped his cheeks in her palms, "We saved each other." Her gaze drifting downward at the small gash across his neck. Lightly, she dragged her thumb along his wound. Her thoughts suddenly consumed with the idea of losing him, and then her lips were upon him. Their tongues dancing in a primitive waltz of desire, lust and comfort. Both allowing their bodies to speak their mutual 'I love you's' with each shallow raspy breath of air they took. Their gentle caress of the others body scorching their skin and setting their hearts ablaze with a dazzling mix of love and passion. There they sat, suspended in time, letting the feeling of life course through their veins. Until, their moment of beautiful desperation was broken by the repetitive sound of war whoops and gunfire.
Nathaniel broke away from the console of Tanda's sweet embrace and turned his head towards the wigwam flap, the explosive noises jolting him back to reality, "Our families...we must find them." He said, swiveling his back to face her.
Tanda nodded her head, "Yes...we must find them." She said, hesitantly sliding off of his lap.
Nathaniel shifted into a crouched position, secured his knife on his belt and slung Killdeer over his shoulder. He pulled his tomahawk out from the back of his belt and wrapped his fingers tightly around it, taking a moment to memorize its exact weight and feel in his palm. He sucked in a deep breath, hoping the renewed oxygen in his lungs would clear his mind and help him focus on what needed to be done. His family's whereabouts and safety being of the utmost importance. He had to find them and as quickly as possible. Turning once more to face Tanda, he lightly placed his left palm atop her cheek and staring into her gaping golden eyes said, "Promise me you will not let go of my hand...unless I tell you to."
Tanda gripped his palm atop her cheek, carefully entwining their fingers together and whispered, "I promise. I will stay right beside you."
Nathaniel smiled softly down at her, the raging violence just past the shelter of the wigwam echoing in his ears and silently he said a prayer of protection for her and his family. His father, Uncas and Pru all scattered like fallen leaves in autumn amongst the turbulence of the village. Then with his heart already heavy, pulled their clasped hands up to his mouth and softly brushed a whisper of a kiss atop her knuckles. He would see them safe, he would see them protected. "Ready?"
Tanda squeezed tighter to Nathaniel's hand and swallowed down her ever growing fear, "Ready."
"Say your prayers, little one
Don't forget, my son
To include everyone
I tuck you in, warm within
Keep you free from sin
Till the Sandman he comes
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
We're off to Never-, Neverland
Something's wrong, shut the light
Heavy thoughts tonight
And they aren't of Snow White
Dreams of war, dreams of liars
Dreams of dragon's fire
And of that will bite
Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
We're off to Never-, Neverland
Now I lay me down to sleep
Pray the Lord my soul to take
If I die before I wake
Pray the Lord my soul to take
Hush little baby, don't say a word
And never mind that noise you heard
It's just the beasts under your bed
In your closet, in your head
Exit light
Enter night
Grain of sand
Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
We're off to Never-, Neverland
We're off to Never-, Neverland
Take my hand
We're off to Never-, Neverland
Take my hand
We're off to Never-, Neverland
We're off to Never-, Neverland
We're off to Never-, Neverland
We're off to Never-, Neverland"
"Enter Sandman" - Metallica
(For the village...and everyone dwelling inside of it)
Pru followed closely behind Chaska, her feet filling in each icy step he took as they silently navigated their way into the village. In keeping with her promise, she coiled her left hand into the material of his plum colored linen shirt, making certain not to lose him amongst the violent chaos that they both knew was about to ensue around them. Carefully they entered the village, their nervous apprehension seething from the eerie silence that seemed to scream emphatically in their ears. Then, as if trying to warn them, Mother Nature blew a frigid gust of air their way. The howl of war whoops and musket fire woven sneakily within it.
Chaska dropped down into a crouch, quickly Pru mirrored his position atop the frozen earth. The rapid thump of their hearts pounding their anxious bodies closer to the ground. He swiveled his head to face her, suddenly desperate to look at her one more time. Any moment could be their end and if the worst were to happen, he needed to memorize every feature of her face to take with him into the afterlife. Her long dark hair disheveled as it had all but fallen out of her once tightly knitted braid. Her thick dark eyebrows, perfectly situated atop her wildly vivid blue eyes. Eyes he peered into a thousand different times, though never before had seen turmoil in them. Turmoil of the all encompassing fear of the unknown and he reached out to grip her shoulder. desiring nothing more than to comfort her. Though he never touched her, never soothed her. His hand suspended helplessly in the air. When he saw the paralyzing fear that flooded her features glazed over in her eyes as they stared wildly past him. Chaska gripped tighter to his tomahawk and quickly swiveled around on the balls of his feet, using his body as a shield to protect Pru, instantly he felt the acute burn of a blade as it sliced into his soft buttery flesh.
"Noooo!" Pru screamed as she reached around Chaska and grabbed a fistful of the vengeful warrior's hair, yanking his head far back and effectively throwing him off balance.
Pru's voice ricocheted in Chaska's ears, her pain laced tone catapulting him out of his brief state of shock and quickly taking advantage of Pru's intervention, thrusted the knife in his left hand up into the warrior's chin. The force of the impact plummeted the warrior backwards to the ground and disengaged the blade that was momentarily embedded in Chaska's side.
"Chaska!" Pru yelped, lunging towards him and pressing both her palms against his blood stained shirt.
"I'm alright," he said before leaning over the dead warrior and retrieving his implanted knife from his head. Chaska lifted his eyes, quickly scanning the scene around them. "We have to move...now Pru!" He asserted, covering her bloody palms with his right hand and pulling her up onto her feet with him. Chaska spun his head around, the violent sound of war whoops filtering their way into his ears and immediately catching his attention. His eyes shifted left to right, watching as the blur of two incoming warriors raced towards them. "Run Pru...run right now!"
Pru stood frozen, her rosy cheeks stained with new tears, "Chaska?" She breathed.
Chaska gripped tighter to his weapon, "Now Pru!" He hollered at her, the warrior inside him taking over both his mind and body.
And with that, Pru ran as fast and as far as her feet would take her. The tassels on her skirt swaying wildly back and forth along her legs. Long wisps of her loose hair whipping through the air and striking her against her face. All around her, the sounds of frightened screams echoed with the morbid melody of musket shots being fired. The wicked noises only drowned out by the crazed sounds of war whoops filling her ears. She had only made it twenty feet from Chaska when she heard a blast behind her and felt the thud of something solid collide against her, forcing her body into the icy snow below. Pru panicked, her arms and legs flailing, her body weighed down by something large and soft. She turned her face across the snow to see the wide vacant eyes of a dead man staring back at her. Immediately she rolled out from beneath him, shoving his lifeless body further away and instinctively looked behind her. Her eyes peering back at Chaska, hunched over with a smoking musket gripped tightly between his palms.
"Run Pru!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. "Run!" Their eyes linger on each for just a moment before Chaska is forced to turn away from her, once more in a battle for his life.
Pru scurried up onto her feet, ripping the fallen warrior's tomahawk from his clenched fingers and with a deep breath filling her body with courage, ran into the wild fray that was now her village. "Uncas…Nathaiel…Nooch!" She screeched at the top of her lungs. "Please…where are you!" Her eyes zigzagging throughout the dark grey haze that encompassed her once serene village. All around her the village was burning. Every wigwam in sight had been set ablaze. Mothers and daughters ran frantically, small children clutched tight to their chests. Fathers and brothers fought bravely as they wielded their weapons against the enemy. And the bodies of them all scattered along her path as she continued to fight her way through the thick murky chaos. The smoke so thick, Pru found herself beginning to drown in it. Her lungs fighting with her after every raspy breath she took. Finally, she skidded to a halt and gripped at her chest in despair. The suffocating feeling became too much for her to bear. And raising her head upward, yelled once more with everything she had left, "Uncas…Nathaniel…Nooch!"
"Pru!"
Pru's eyes went wide, Nathaniel's voice echoing the sound of her name in her ears. She turned her head to the left and suddenly through the smoke and fire saw her brother running, hand in hand with Tanda, directly towards her. The sight of them giving her the much needed push to propel her feet forward. Both siblings now determined to reach the other. Pru straightened her back and ran as fast as she could, her eyes locked on the bright blue of Nathaniels'. When, as the sound of a musket blast ricocheted through every small crevasse of her mind, she watched Nathaniel and Tanda collapse, hand in hand, to the frozen, crimson snow covered ground below.
"NATHANIEL!"
Author's Note: This chapter begins with Tanda leaving Pru after confiding in her about the baby and runs parallel to the previous chapter 14. I hate Enola. I hate her as a woman and as a mother. But, as with all of my stories, there must be at least one...sometimes several villains at large throughout them and Enola certainly counts as a villain to me! The flashback of Enola beating Tanda was what occurred just before Chaska found her collapsed and crying in the forest two chapters ago.
And now Nathaniel and Tanda have been reunited. Such a painfully sweet and emotion reunion. He knows something is amiss...he just doesn't know what. And just as she is about to tell him that he is to be a father, they find themselves under attack! It was important to me to show both Tanda and Pru as not completely vulnerable during the attack. Both girls helping the boys as best they could in the moment. Tanda by hitting the Huron with the piece of kindling and Pru grabbing ahold of the other Huron's hair, both succeeding in giving the boys the advantage in the fight.
Also, it was Chaska who shot a Huron who was following Pru after he told her to run. I didn't really write the scene, but she was about to be hit with a tomahawk when Chaska shot him in the back. His body fell on top of Pru, totally freaking her out! But, even in the disarray of everything that was happening, she still thought to grab his tomahawk before running in search of her family. That boy Chaska...always has his eyes on Pru.
Now what is left...Where are Uncas and Chingachgook? What will happen to Chaska (already wounded and fighting off more warriors)? And what of Nathaniel and Tanda? Hmmmmmmmmm...
As always, a huge thank you to everyone who viewed/reviewed and a special thank you to MohawkWoman, BrynnaRaven, ELY72, BlueSaffire, Hazel222, AsterLaurel, you all are awesome!
Thanks for reading ;)
