Chapter Sixty-Five: Strangers of England
Soon Pocahontas, Jason and Max ran through the woods as they reached a fog covered river as they looked down from a rock edge where they saw John Smith and a group of men get off a boat and walk on shore.
"Keep it taut, lads, keep it taut! Steady, steady" Ben yelled.
"Ah, that's far enough! All right now, tie her off" Lon said.
"Here, John, tie up this end" Thomas said tossing the end off the rope and looked to see John Smith gone "John? John? What are you doing up there?" he asked spotting John climbing tree.
"Getting a better look" John said reaching the top and looking around the untouched land with all it's trees.
Meeko then walks towards John as Max grabbed the tail and tried to pull him back as he lost his grip and Meeko bumps into John leg.
"Hey!" John growled pulling out a knife and seeing no enemy as he looked down at Meeko who smiled up at him nervously as he put the knife back in his boot sleeve and knelt down, "Well, you're a strange-looking fellow. You hungry? Here you go, it's a biscuit. It's food… Well, sort of" he said holding out the food to Meeko who sniffed it then snatched it and began to eat away.
"You like it, eh? Well, try eating it for four months straight" he said as Meek looked to the bushed Pocahontas, Jason and Max hid as he held up the biscuit and pointed to it.
'Stupid raccoon!' Jason thought.
"You got a friend back there?" John said standing up and jumped onto the rock face as Pocahontas backed into the rock as Jason saw they were trapped as he reached out and Flit attacks him.
"Hey, what, what, watch out!" John said trying to swat the fast moving hummingbird drop several biscuits that Meeko picked up quickly.
"Away No… Get that… Look out!"
"John! You better get down here! The Governor's coming ashore!" Thomas yelled from below.
"All right, all right, I'm leaving!" John said putting on his helmet and walked away as Flit flew back to the bushes and smirked as Meeko finished the last biscuit.
"Back in the village the villages are talked about all the new strangers to their land as they gathered in the large hut.
"Did you see their skin? Pale and sickly."
"They have hair on their faces like dogs."
"My brothers, we must know more about these visitors. Kekata, what do you see?" Powhatan asked as the man began chanting and threw some dust into the fire as the smoke formed an image of the strangers.
"These are not men like us, but strange beasts with bodies that shine like the sun and weapons that spout fire and thunder. They prowl the earth like ravenous wolves consuming everything in their path."
"Great Powhatan. I will lead our warriors to the river and attack. We will destroy these invaders the way we destroyed the Massawomecks those two new stranger must have brought them! They should be slain!" Kocoum said.
"Kocoum, in that battle we knew how to fight our enemy, but these pale visitors are strange to us. Take some men to the river to observe them. Let us hope they do not intend to stay and Jason and Max are warriors of honors, I can tell they mean to protect my daughter and to be left be" Powhatan said.
Meanwhile Jason, Max and Pocahontas watched as the settlers claimed the land.
"I hereby claim this land and all its riches in the name of His Majesty King James the first, and do so name this settlement Jamestown" Ratcliffe said as the Englishmen cheered.
"Jamestown?" Jason repeated as he glanced to Max.
"Captain Smith! It appears I've selected the perfect location, eh? Not a savage in sight" Ratcliffe said approaching John.
"Just because we don't see them doesn't mean they're not out there, sir" John said.
"Well then, perhaps you should venture forth and determine their whereabouts, hmm?" Ratcliffe said.
"If there are any Indians out there, I'll find them" John said.
"Now, gentlemen, to work. You men, get the ship unloaded!" Ratcliffe said.
"Right, sir."
"You men build the fort. The rest of you… Break out the shovels! It's time to start digging!" Ratcliffe said.
"Digging?" Ben and Lon said.
"Why, of course! Let's not forget what the Spanish found when they came to the New World. Gold, mountains of it. Why, for years they've been ravaging the New World of its most precious resources but now… It's our turn" Ratcliffe said placing a map on a table and stabbed a sword into it then soon fired a gun as the Englishmen began digging and cutting down tree for gold.
Later that day by a waterfall John makes his way to the water below as he cupped his hand in the water and splashed his face as he cupped water in his hand again but stopped when he saw Pocahontas reflection then washed his face again knowing she was hiding behind a tree above as he got up and placed back on his helmet.
"Pocahontas no!" Jason whispered as she slowly began to climb down along the rocks.
"Shhh" she said as she looked out to where John was and saw he was gone.
"She going to get us in trouble!" Max whispered as they saw her come out from the bushes she hid behind and moved to the water where he stood and began to hope the stones in the water while John hid behind the waterfall with his gun getting ready.
He then jumped out of the waterfall and pointed the gun at Pocahontas but stares at her as the steam coming from the waterfall cleared showing her to him as the two stared at each other.
John then set the gun down and stepped into the water as he began to approach the princess and removed his helmet.
Jason then jumped down and pushed John over into the water.
"Run!" Jason yelled as Pocahontas ran and the three ran to her boat.
"No, wait! Please!" John called as the three ran in the forest.
"That was stupid of you princess! What if he would have shot you?!" Jason growled as they ran and reached the boat and got ready to sail to boat into the river.
"Please!" they heard John call as they saw him approaching as he set his gun on a tree as Jason got out and pointed his keyblade at John who held his hands up, "Don't run off. It's all right, I'm not gonna hurt her."
"Hmph" Jason grunted eyeing John closely.
"Here, let me help you out of there" John said as Jason pointed the weapon at his neck.
"Mat-ta-que na-to-rath" Pocatohntas said that John didn't understand but Jason and Max understood she said 'I do not understand'.
"You don't understand a word I'm saying, do you? It's all right."
"Be careful Pocahotas" Jason said in Pocahontas language as his eyes widen, 'I can speak it fluently now...cool' he thought as he saw the leaves began to blow in with lights.
"Ay ay ay na ay ay na" they heard the Wind Spirits sing as Pocahontas took John hand and stood out of the boat as the leaves spun around the two.
"Listen with your heart. You will understand. Let it break upon you. Like a wave upon the sand" they heard Grandmother Willow sing.
"Who are you?" John asked.
"Listen with your heart. You will understand."
"Pocahontas."
"What? What did you say?" John said realizing he understood her.
"My name is Pocahontas" she said as Meeko, and Flit jaws dropped.
"You deft?" Jason said.
"Well I'm Max and this is Jason so who are you?"
"I'm John Smith."
Later that day Pocahontas examined John helmet as she looked at her reelection.
"It's called a helmet" John said.
"Helmet" Pocahontas repeated.
"So uh what river is this?
"Quiyoughcohannock" Pocahontas said.
"You have most unusual names here" John said.
"Usual to you, not to them" Jason said. "Chicahominy, Quiyough, Quiyoughcohannock, Pocahontas" John said.
"You have the most unusual name, too. John Smith" Pocahontas said.
"Yes where he's from and I guess Max and I have three names" Jason said as they saw Meeko digging in John bag.
"Hey!" John said pulling out Meeko out of his bag who was scarfing down the biscuits "is this bottomless pit a friend of yours?"
"Meeko!" Pocahontas said taking the raccoon.
"Well, how do you do, Meeko?" he said holding out his hand to shake as Meeko looked around his hand then growl crossing arms. "It's all right, it's just a handshake, here, let me show you" he said holding out his hand again.
"Nothing's happening" Pocahontas said.
"No, no, I need your hand first" John said.
"Like this" Max said as he and Jason stood up, "Hello how are you?"
"Oh I'm fine" Jason said shaking his hand, "see? This is how we greet each other in our land."
"Pocahontas then took John hand and slowly shook it.
"It's how we say hello" John said.
"This is how we say hello" Pocahontas said moving her hand, "Wingapo."
"Wingapo" John said following.
"Wingapo" Jason said doing it as Max did.
"And how we say goodbye" she said showing them the sign of goodbye, "Ana."
"I like hello better" John said as Flit charges at him and buzzing at his face, "Yeah, I remember you."
"Flit just doesn't like strangers" Pocahontas said.
"But I'm not a stranger anymore" John said as Flit tried to jab his finger, "Hmm, stubborn little fellow, isn't he?"
"Very stubborn."
"Hey!" John said seeing Meeko steals John's compass from his bag.
"Meeko! Come back here!" Pocahontas said as Meeko tried to figure out what it is.
"Don't worry, he can't hurt it" John said as Meeko hits it against a rock, "Hey! What are you doing?!" he yelled trying to grab him as Meeko ran up the tree.
"Meeko bring that back!" Pocahontas yelled.
"No, no, it's all right. He can keep it. Call it a gift" John said as Meeko bangs the compass on the tree.
"What was that?" Pocahontas asked.
"My compass" John said getting up.
"Compass?"
"It tells you how to find your way when you get lost. But it's all right, I'll get another one in London."
"London? Is that your village?"
"Yes, it's a very big village."
"What's it like?"
"Well, it's got streets filled with carriages and bridges over the rivers and buildings as tall as trees."
"I'd like to see those things."
"You will."
"How?"
"Yeah how?" Jason said.
"We're going to build them here. We'll show your people how to use this land properly. How to make the most of it."
"Properly?" Jason said.
"Make the most of it?" Pocahontas said.
"Yes, we'll build roads and decent houses and-"
"Our houses are fine."
"You think that, only because you don't know any better" John said.
"Excuse you?" Jason said as Pocahontas starts to leave.
"Wait a minute, don't take it that-" he said but Flit attacks him again, "Hey, hey, wait! Wait, wait!"
"The nerve!" Max said as they got ready to sail in Pocahontas boat as John caught them.
"There's so much we can teach you. We've improved the lives of savages all over the world" John said.
"Savages?!" Pocahotnas said.
"Uh, not that you're a savage" John said.
"Just my people."
"No, listen, that's not what I meant. Let me explain-"
"Let go!"
"No, I'm not letting you leave" he said as she, Max and Jason jumped up into the tree above.
"Look, don't do this. 'Savage' is just a word. You know. A term for… people who are uncivilized" he said climbing after them.
"Like me."
"Well, when I say uncivilized, what I mean is – is…" he began a the branch broke and fell down hitting a few branches then hitting the ground with his helmet landing hard on his head.
"Serves you right!" Jason said as they jumped down.
"What you mean is, not like you" Pocahontas said.
"Dude you need a lesson" Max said.
"You think I'm an ignorant savage and you've been so many places, I guess it must be so. But still I cannot see" she said picking up his gun and handing it to him, "If the savage one is me. How can there be so much that you don't know? You don't know" she then began leading them.
"You think you own whatever land you land on. The earth is just a dead thing you can claim. But I know every rock and tree and creature. Has a life, has a spirit, has a name. You think the only people who are people are the people who look and think like you but if you walk the footsteps of a stranger. You'll learn things you never knew you never knew."
"Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue-corn moon? Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned? Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"
"Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest. Come taste the sun-sweet berries of the earth. Come roll in all the riches all around you And for once, never wonder what they're worth. The rainstorm and the river are my brothers. The heron and the otter are my friends and we are all connected to each other In a circle, in a hoop that never ends. How high does the sycamore grow? If you cut it down, then you'll never know and you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue-corn moon. For whether we are white or copper-skinned. We need to sing with all the voices of the mountain. We need to paint with all the colors of the wind. You can own the earth and still All you'll own is earth until You can paint with all the colors of the wind."
They then heard the drum beating as Jason and Max looked to the princess.
"What is it?" John asked.
"The drums. They mean trouble. I shouldn't be here" Pocahontas said.
"I want to see you again" John said.
"I can't."
"Please, don't leave."
"I'm sorry. I have to go" she said as she ran back to her boat as they returned to the village.
Upon arriving Jason heard about the attack and ran to the healer tent to see the man groaning on bed.
"Kekata may I?" Jason asked the elder.
"Go ahead" Kekata said as Jason examined the man leg.
"He got shot in the leg, did you remove the bullet?" Jason asked.
"The what?" Kekata asked.
"Max give me something thin, some tweezers or a thin knife" Jason said.
"Got it!" Max said looking around the hut.
"Kekata do you have any herbs or remedies to numb the pain?" Jason asked.
"We have no such remedies" Kekata said.
"Okay, I need some to hold him down and give him something to bit one" Jason said as he took the knife and Max held the man down and Jason began to remove the bullet as the man groaned and Jason held the small silver bullet in his hand.
"Who started the shooting?" Max asked.
"The pale face spotted them then began to shoot their thunder weapons at Kocoum and his men" Kekata said.
"Heal!" Jason said pointing his keyblade above him as the man glowed and his injury vanished.
"You rest" Max said.
"I think you and I might have to speak to Ratcliffe and his men and John" Jason said.
A.N. Please Review.