Sorry for the wait! Here ya go!

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Chapter 4

It wasn't John. He hadn't come.

Those two sentences repeated themselves in Pocahontas' head like some sort of torture device. The words twisted into her until she went past pain into that numb state. She would have excused herself from the feast, but she had an obligation to stay as the cheifs' daughter. She smiled and pretended to enjoy the food, though it tasted like ash. She clapped along with the drums that wove the dancers' rhythm, but didn't enjoy them like she usually did. A fire roared in front of her, and the late summer air was deliciously balmy, yet she couldn't get warm.

She snuck a glance to her right at the man called Jack. He was telling a story to a small group of warriors, gesturing his arms wildly. The warriors listened politely, without much interest. Pocahontas couldn't say why she didn't trust him, or any of his men. It was just a gut feeling. He had a shifty, dishonest air about him that Pocahontas didn't like.

"Daughter?" Her fathers' voice made her jump. She looked up a little guiltily into his face - she'd had to look past him to glare at Jack. "Are you well? You look distracted."

"Distracted" was hardly the right word, but Pocahontas played along. "Now that you mention it Father, I am a bit tired. Would you please excuse me?"

The cheif nodded, patted his daughters' hand, and kissed her forehead. "Pleasant dreams then, Little Swallow." Pocahontas smiled a little at her childhood nickname. She kissed her fathers' cheek in return before standing. Threading her way through the people and away from the light, she headed for their wigwam. She walked right past it, not intending to go lay down. Sleep was far from her tonight. What she wanted was a walk in the dark, quiet forest to wrestle with her sickening disappointment.

"Going somewhere, love?" Pocahontas jumped again. She whirled around to come face-to-face with Jack. The half moon illuminated his features. For some reason he was smirking at her. The young womans' temper flared.

"Yes, but I don't believe you were invited," she snapped.

Jack spread his hands wide in a gesture of surrender. "That I wasn't," he admitted, "However, if you would be so kind as to invite me wherever it is you're going, I wouldn't have to go to all this trouble following you in the dark. Savvy?"

Pocahontas rolled her eyes. she turned away from him and started walking again. Much to her annoyance, she heard his footsteps behind her.

"Honestly," she threw over her shoulder, "Can't you just leave me alone?"

"That I can, sweetpea, but will I? That's a different story." Jacks' voice slithered back over her shoulder. "Tell me what's got you so hot 'n bothered, eh?"

He seemed to be laughing at her. The nerve of this man! Pocahontas stopped and spun around so fast that her hair whipped the air. Jack took a step back in surprise.

"You." She hissed. "You are the problem. You, showing up here in your big ship, demanding gold when there is none, reminding me of -," She gasped a little, for she had almost said Johns' name. If she uttered it, Pocahontas knew she would start to cry.

Jack was smiling in a way that reminded her of a fox. "Who do I remind you of, love? Come, tell me."

Black tresses flew as Pocahontas shook her head. "You don't remind me of him - you're nothing alike. It's just... I thought..." her voice trailed off as her helplessness choked her. She hung her head in an attempt to hide her feelings.

"You thought your knight in shining armor was coming to rescue you in my ship, eh?" Jack sneered.

Pocahontas looked back up at Jack. How could a man be so cruel? She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat closed again. A film of tears clouded her vision. She twisted and ran from Jack before he could recieve the satisfaction of seeing her tears fall.

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I have yet to write Chapter 5... *slaps own wrist* My wisdom teeth got pulled today but I will write through the pain! Stay tuned!