Chapter 3 - Realizations And Good Advice

Previously …

"You know, the eyes of man speak words the tongue cannot speak."

Though Cole rolled his eyes, he started talking. "There is this girl from this first settler family ..."

*** The Wild West Triad - prequel ***

Grey Feather's weathered face now showed a smile with many small laugh lines as it grew into a knowing grin. "So you are in love … that can be really a thing to be concerned about," the older teased Cole.

"Who is in love?" Shewa's warm voice let Cole jerk his head at her as she climbed out of the teepee. "Cole! I didn't know you were visiting. Where is Daniel, isn't he with you? Is everyone alright?"

Cole turned slightly red about Grey Feather's revelation about him being in love. "Yes, no, don't worry, everyone is just fine." He felt unsure and angry. Maybe it was a bad idea at all to come.

"COLE!" Little Crow ran towards him and hugged him as strongly as his little stature let him. The young Absarokee boy was Grey Feather's youngest and counted nine winters.

Cole didn't know why but the boy hardly left his side when he was visiting. He hadn't thought about that other human puppy. "Hey, little buddy."

The boy released him. "You are just in time for our fishing trip. Now as you are here I have finally someone to come with me. Shewa tries to talk herself out of it the whole day. Do you wanna come with me?"

Cole looked into Little Crow's big dark brown eyes. He couldn't say no. "Sure I'm coming. I only need to talk to your father first. Give me a moment."

The young boy's face beamed in joy. "Really? That is great! I'll get you a basket, too. 'm right back."

Cole watched him run away, then turned to Shewa. "I will tell you the whole story when you come fishing with us."

Shewa cocked a brow and sighed. "Alright, I'll come with you. At least I have company in my age now." Rolling her eyes she grabbed a small deerskin bag from the entrance of their teepee, richly decorated with beadwork. "I let you talk to my father, and tell my brother the good news."

When she was gone too, Cole ran his hand through his long dark hair. He had started to let it grow like the men of the tribe he admired. It already reached his chin. "Grey Feather, may I stay with you for a few days?"

The big man placed a hand on Cole's shoulder as he spoke, smiling warmly at him. "Sure son, you are always welcome here. But now go. Little Crow is waiting the whole day for a company with the fishing. It was not luck that brought you by but destiny. You can tell me all the news later at the fire."

Cole nodded and smiled back, relaxing under the friendly touch. "Thank you, Grey Feather. Wish us luck with the catch." He turned and followed the others.

*** Wild West Triad - Prequel ***

The three of them headed to the nearby creek where a little basin of stones had been built for fishing. It was an easy thing when you have the patience to stay silent and unmoving in the water to strike fast and precisely when the time was right. Cole liked fishing that way, though Shewa was more talented than the boys; they had caught five while Shewa had filled her basket with more than fifteen.

"See Cole, that is the reason I wanted Shewa to come along." Little Crow nudged him in the side, signing to his sister's full basket.

The Absarokee girl looked up and smiled proudly. "What can I say, I have an aura of trust. That is the only secret."

Smiling lopsidedly, Cole glanced over at the boy . "Trust me, girls have more secrets than this."

Shewa put a hand on one of her hips looking a little pouting. "Little Crow, how about you bring the fish home and help Father to prepare them. But don't pretend you've caught them all alone."

"But I claim a third of the catch," the boy told her.

"Alright, go and get them home. Cole and I come later, we have to talk."

*** The Wild West Triad - prequel***

When her brother was gone she patted to the spot in the grass next to her where Cole soon slumped to the ground pulling his arms around his tugged-on legs, playing with a few blades of grass. Patiently waiting she wondered what that girl had done to her friend. He usually told from his heart but right now he seemed not to find the right words. Maybe she should ask something. "And do you tell me about that girl?"

"Only if you swear not to mock me like Sam."

Ok, she had to be careful questioning him about her. She didn't want Cole to be that angry about her like he was with Sam. Usually, the two were best friends and they didn't fight. Maybe she had to assure him her trustfulness. "I wouldn't do that. We are friends; we must help one another carry our burdens," Shewa announced honestly.

"Right, I'm sure Sam only momentarily forgot about that." Shewa watched him ripping angrily out the grass, throwing it away.

He kept doing that for a few more minutes before the dark-haired sighed heavily and finally Cole started telling Shewa everything about Carolyn, even describing how her hair reflected the midday sun.

This was a really bad case of being in love. She was curious to get to know Carolyn. "Ok, I got it. She is perfect in your eyes. What are you two talking about? I want to get a picture of what her soul looks like."

Cole fell silent again. "Well I don't know, we haven't really talked much yet. Every time I see her I barely can remember my name and her family is with her all the time."

"Oh Cole, you should work on that. How about you ask her for a picnic? Then you will have the chance to talk a little longer with her. Get to know her. I'm sure you can see if she is really as beautiful as you think and then decide whether to kiss her or bring her home to not waste your time and your mental health on her any longer. Should you decide to kiss her, the rest will come by itself."

"And when she doesn't want me to kiss her?" Cole looked up unsure into Shewa's eyes.

She saw the reflection of self-doubt and fear in his eyes. She had to give him a path to follow. The truth was most times the best lifeline. "Then she isn't the right one and you bring her home as I said. You will get over it and be able to live again."

"As you talk about home. We should go, Bahena said it would rain and now I know what he was talking about." Cole pointed to the horizon where now dark clouds came closer.

"It looks like a bad storm is coming. Hurry, we should be home before it is here."

Cole and Shewa ran into camp as the first raindrops hit the earth. Heavy gusts of wind whipped rain into their faces. Thunder growled in the mountains. Hurrying into Grey Feather|s teepee, they made it inside nearly dry but heavily breathing from running home.

"You could have mentioned earlier that Bahena warned you about the weather. He is never wrong about that," Shewa said.

"I couldn't believe it would rain. I saw nothing but a blue sky on my way. Next time I will listen to his wisdom."

"Be glad I listened to his wisdom and fixed that hole in the deerskin, or we would sit in a wet teepee." Grey Feather laughed, stirring in the embers of the fireplace where the fish were placed to cook. "Now tell me about the new settlers, Cole."

*** The Wild West Triad ***

The older man stayed silent while Cole told him the news. He had heard the stories about the White. They took the land and claimed it on their own, drew pictures of it, and drew lines to separate one man's land from the other's. They were a weird kind of human beings. He was grateful that Wade and his boys were different.

The Wilmingtons had settled here too but their friendship had been forged in a special encounter. That fateful night the Absarokee-warrior had dreamed about a holy woman with hair like gold. She'd told him Wade would not harm the Absarokee as well as his boys and they were chosen to protect the magic that flowed through the place on which Wade planned to build his home.

Wilmington had never claimed the land as his by force. He'd asked when he had realized that this land was Absarokee tribe land if he was allowed to settle down here to build a new home for his family and his Triad. They had communicated with hands and feet first. Neither of them spoke the other's language then. The Lady of the Lake had reassurance helped Grey Feather to trust Wade. She had been right. Wade had become his brother in many ways and his boys were prescious to him like his own kids.

Grey Feather had defended the Wilmingtons in front of his tribe members. Mother Earth had gifted the land to mankind to feed her children from the earth and warm their bodies by the sun and refresh a dry throat by the waters that run through the land. But he'd not been blind nor deaf. Had heard like other tribes had been treated and had been forced to retreat further west. The Absarokee had been careful with the Wilmingtons first.

Grey Feather knew he couldn't change destiny. Wade had taught his children the White's tongue and he'd taught the Wilmingtons their language. Wade had turned out to be a man of honor even had confirmed his worries about the White. He'd told him he was sure the government would turn this land into a Territory, too. Grey Feather had heard the story of Tecumseh, the great leader of the Shawnee, who had tried to unite the tribes and told how the White treated the tribes who lived in a so-called Territory. Though the Absarokee had not decided to unite with other tribes, he feared for their future.

He wasn't sure what to do about more Whites in the area. Grey Feather had to have a meeting with the other men of the Absarokee tribe's families. But like he had said earlier to Cole, they should ride over and meet the settler in person.

TBC

A/N: fell free to tell me if you like the story with a review.