-The Dinner-

-Outside of Fort Gibson- Shepard farm- 5/18/1878

William started to scratch his head as he tried to follow the recipe in the old cook book.

'Well...Let's see, I need two eggs, milk, flour, and honey' He thought, suddenly he was pushed forward as Ethan started to sweep.

"Watch what you're doing Ethan!" William said annoyed at his younger brother.

* Be quiet.* Ethan spoke in Cherokee, William sighed even more annoyed.

*I also speak Mother's native tongue moron.* William said in Cherokee.

*Not very well you dont.* Ethan replied, William started to get red in the face.

* I speak the language better than you do!* William shouted.

*You both speak it just fine.* A voice called out, the two brothers looked over to find their mother holding a basket of corn, *However I speak it better than any of you.* She said.

"Now then." She said in English, "Ethan apologize for bumping into your brother". Ethan sighed and turned to face William.

"I'm sorry." He said. Maria nodded.

"Good, Now William apologize for shouting at your brother." She said. William sighed as well.

"He started it." He argued.

"And I have finished it, now William do you have something to say to your little brother? She asked.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you." He said hesitantly. Maria smiled and nodded at her two sons.

"Good, now Ethan continue sweeping, William will you help me shucking the corn?" She asked.

"I would mother, but I have to make whatever this is." He said and pointed to the book. Maria looked at the old cook book and called for Martha, a few moments later Martha came walking in with Mia, who looked more like their grandmother when she was little.

"Yes mother." Martha said, Maria turned around to face her eldest daughter.

"Will you please make the dough for William while he helps me clean the corn?" She asked, Martha nodded and then walked over to cook book. "Come along William." His mother said as she walked outside.


As William and Maria walked outside Elijah ran up to her and held out his hand.

"Look what I caught Mother." He said and opened his hand reviling a firefly. Maria smiled.

"Well that is something special isn't it my little wolf pup?" She asked using the little nickname she gave all of her children, mainly because she would sometimes call their father the great wolf, even though he has begged her to not call him that. Suddenly the firefly flew away with the gentle breeze, Elijah watched as it flew away.

"Aww," He said and lowered his head in disappointment, "It took me forever to catch that." He says with a pout, this caused Maria to chuckle and reach out her arms to hug him, she then kissed the top of his head and let him go.

"I'm sure you can catch another one if you try, I believe in you." She said which caused Elijah to smile, he leaned down to kiss her cheek and started to run off towards a direction of fireflies.

Maria watches for a second then sits down next to William who already started to shucking the corn by peeling the leafs revealing the yellow corn underneath. Maria then picked up one and started to peel the leafs off.

"Have you thought about what you want to do after the harvest? Your father said you were thinking of finding a job." She said, William shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not sure yet. There are lots of jobs available in New York city." He said placing the leafs inside an empty basket, he then looked up at the purple/reddish sky, "I'm sure I'll find something." He says, his mother looks at him and smiles, she then places her hand on his dark brown hair and starts to stroke it.

"You, your brothers, and sisters are my greatest achievements, you know that right William?" She asked, William nodded and smiled.

"You've only said that about a thousand times." He said, which caused his mother to smile.

"I know, but that doesn't mean it's not true, you know when I found out I was pregnant with you...I was so happy, so happy I cried for almost an hour. I was so afraid I would never become a mother." She said, William raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

"What do you mean?" He asked, his mother looked into her oldest son's eyes and thought it best not to tell the real reason why she was afraid, maybe later in his life, when her is almost at its end, she would tell them all about her life, and how she met their father, but for now.

"It's just a thought many native girls think about, there weren't many men in my tribe...Not any good looking ones anyway." She chuckled. William laughed with her.

"I was always curious." He started to say, "Did you and father marry because you loved each other, or because you were having me?" He asked, "I know you two love each other now...You show it every time you see each other, I just want to know if I was the only reason you two married." He said. Maria placed her arms over his shoulder.

"I loved your father long before you were born" She started to say , " At first I couldn't stand your father, he was so arrogant and disrespectful to me and my people's way of life." She stopped.

"What made you love him?" William asked.

"One day He did something for me, something I dared him to do." She said.

"Which was?" He asked.

"She dared me to kiss her." He heard his father say, they both turned around to find James by the door. Maria smiled.

"My first kiss, by a white devil." She smirked.

"Oh darling you know that kiss is what made you fall for me, how couldn't it? After all look at me, I'm drop dead gorgeous." He boasted, Maria laughed. "Don't laugh, you couldn't take your eyes off me the whole time we knew each other." He said.

"Only because I was amazed someone could look so ugly." She laughed, this caused William to laugh as well.

"What was that?" James asked knowing full well what she said.

"I said I love you." She said, she then stood with the corn and handed it to James, "Here you go love." She said and they walked into the house. William was about to get up to until he noticed Thomas walking up to the house.


"So what did you do to make father keep us inside doing women chores?" William asked, Thomas made his way up to the porch, William could tell Thomas' hair was wet, and he could smell a small hint of perfume.

"I tried to open his secret box." Thomas replied.

"Again? Thomas why can't you just leave it alone. You wouldn't like it if any of us tried to mess with your stuff would you?" William asked, Thomas shrugged his shoulders.

"I can't help it, something about it just calls to me, like I need to get what's inside the box." He said, William smirked.

"That's the traits of a thief." William replied, Thomas looked down at his older brother.

"I'm not a thief William and you know that!" Thomas said loudly, William stood up not liking Thomas' tone.

"I didn't say you were a thief, I said you have the characteristics of one." He spoke even louder. Thomas lowered his head, he didn't want to get into a fight with William, every time they did, William would always beat him down and leave him bloodied and bruised. Thomas kept his head lowered and walked past his brother, who quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him close.

"By the way, you should wash up. I can smell Taylors perfume on you, and you know if I can smell it you can bet your ass father will too, and how do you think he will react to knowing you're fucking slutty Taylor Mayflower?" William asked. Thomas looked his brother dead in the eye, his fist clenched tight, every nerve in his body was telling him to throw the punch, he didn't care that William would beat him down. However he did not want William to tell father, if he did that he would never see Taylor again.

"She's not a slut, William...She's pure, as am I." He said, William chuckled.

"Really? Is that what she told you? Before she was with you she was with me, and I can tell you that she is no virgin." He said, and that was it, Thomas threw his fist as hard as he could at William square in the face.

William jerked his head away and ignored the pain, he then grabbed Thomas and threw him onto the ground, William spat blood out of his mouth and curled his hand into a fist and with the other he grabbed the back of Thomas shirt and jerked him up from the ground, William then slugged him in the gut.

Thomas doubled over and started to throw up, William then kicked him as hard as he could in the sides, Thomas grunted in pain as he rolled over grabbing his sides in pain. William then knelt down close to him and punched him in the face.

"STOP IT!" Mia shouted, William looked over to find Mia crying at the sight of her brothers fighting, "MOMMA!" She shouted and ran into the house, William turned his attention back to Thomas who was bleeding from his nose, William grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him up.

"When are you going to stop being so weak Thomas?" He asked and let go of his shirt.

"What the hell are you two doing!" James shouted as he came running out side with Maria holding Mia who was balling, James walked to William and shoved him out of the way, James then knelt to Thomas.

"What happened?" He asked, Thomas didn't answer, he then turned to William. "What happened?!" He shouted, William stood straight.

"Just a little disagreement that got out of hand." He said. James stared at William, then turned back to Thomas.

"No dinner for either of you tonight, possible for the whole week!" He shouted and walked inside, Maria sat Mia down and rushed over to Thomas.

"Thomas are you okay?" She said with tears flowing down her face, Thomas didn't answer, which he always did after William had beat him down, he would remain quiet for the rest of the day, Maria helped Thomas up and helped him inside, but no before angrily glaring at William. William looked at the house to find Martha looking at him.

"Good going William." She said and walked inside, He then noticed Mia still crying.

"Why can't you two love each other!" She cried and ran inside.


Everyone except Thomas, and William sat at the dinner table enjoying their food. James took a bite from the bread along with corn and the potatoes.

"Mm, very good all of you, just delicious." He said and took a sip from his drink, "I should have you boys stay and cook some more." He said taking another bite from his food. Everyone was still a bit shook up over the fight. James noticed and shook his head.

"It's not the first time those two have fought, and I hardly doubt it will be the last." He said, "We shouldn't let their stupidity ruin the meal though, agreed?" He asked and looked around, it took a little while before everyone nodded.

"I heard the fair is coming up in a few days, do you think we could attend?" Martha asked, James took another bite and nodded.

"I don't see why not." He said and washed his food down with the rest of his drink.

"If we do go, will Thomas and William go too?" Ethan asked, James looked at his son and thought for a moment.

"As of now...No, those two will have to work hard to earn the right to go." He said and leaned back in his chair, and started to scratch his cheek. "Well, I'm worn out...Ill head on to bed." He said and got up then walked out.


Thomas laid on his bed and looked up at the celling, the candle by his bed was the only source of light, he liked watching the glare from the candle dance around the darkness on the celling, He took a deep breath and was about to call it a night when there was a gently knock at his door.

"Come in." He said, his door opened and Maria walked in, "Mother?" He asked as if something was wrong, Maria smiled at her son and closed the door behind her, she then held a plate of food from behind her back.

"Here eat it." She said and sat the plate on his bed.

"But Father said..." He was cut off when his mother placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I, your mother am telling you to eat." She said.

"I'm not sure." He said.

*Eat* She said in Cherokee, Thomas knew when she talked in her native tongue she was getting annoyed, so instead of her getting more upset he started to eat the food.

"So do you want to tell me what the fight was about this time?" She asked, Thomas shook his head.

"William's just a jerk." He said as he continued to eat. Maria sighed.

"I know...He was such a good boy, he took care of all of you when he was younger, but then one day he just changed, he's hardest on you I know, but he is still my son, my first born and I love him with all my heart, just like I love you, and your brothers, and sisters. Maybe him being stuck with people he's known for twenty-four years has weighed down on him." She said and wiped a tear from her eye, she looked over at Thomas and smiled, everyone said he looked so much like her, but to her he looked much like her father, a younger, whiter, skinnier version of her father.

"Are you finished?" She asked, Thomas looked down at his empty plate and handed it to his mother, "Good night my sweet little wolf cub." She said and kissed his forehead and walked out of his room. Thomas rolled back on his bed and continued to watch the candle glare on his celling.