The Adventures of Pocahontas and John Rolfe: Book I
Chapter 17: Living on a Prayer
By morning, Flame's crew had greatly slowed its pace of pursuit. The exhaustion was plain on each man's face until a young buck crossed their path up ahead. Each of the men froze, their bellies rumbling and mouths watering. Flame put a finger to his lips, quieting the crew. He pulled out his musket and silently loaded it, creeping through the brush. He glanced back to the others and signaled for the bosun and Bandit Lee to join him, the two being the next best shots in the crew. The bosun handed Françoise over to Buckle Bree, worried that the canine might make too much noise and scare off the deer. The rest of the men stayed put in hope of having a next meal as they trembled with anticipation.
The trio disappeared into the forest up ahead for nearly twenty minutes. Eventually, the bang of a gunshot was heard echoing loudly over the trees. A noisy whistle indicated success. The men all cheered with enthusiasm and raced off to find the bosun and Bandit Lee gutting and skinning a fresh carcass. "It's a just little bit bigger than the last one! Cheers to all!" Bandit Lee exclaimed when the rest of the crewmen arrived.
The pirates all hurrahed boisterously as they hurried over to the kill. "And there are less men to share with! Bigger portions for everyone!" decried Mick Sane in triumph.
"It's a bona fide feast," acclaimed Blank Samuel. "If only we had some rum too."
Flame pointed to Sick Phillip, Cole Hughes, and Guy Rush. "You men get the firewood." Then he pointed to Mick Sane and Bo Copper. "You prepare the pit." Finally, he set eyes on Buckle Bree. "You find limbs for the spit. Hurry it up, you all! The sooner we devour the beast, the sooner we get our revenge!" he commanded, waving his sword in the air.
The crew was so hungry that it took no longer than fifteen minutes for each pirate to carry out his assigned tasks. Before long, the sumptuous scent of sizzling venison permeated the wooded area. There was more than enough food to go around yet the pirates devoured every last scrap of the deer meat. They fed the less appetizing organs to Françoise, who gobbled them all up greedily. By the time they were done, not so much as a morsel of bone marrow remained amongst the charred bones of the deceased prey.
The satiated group lazed around the warm fire in the blissful aftermath of the repast. They said not a word in hope that Flame would allow them to rest. After about twenty minutes Mick Sane gathered up the nerve to side-glance over at the captain, only to find Flame's eyes closed. A small snore indicated that he was fast asleep. Mick leaned over to the man right next to him, Guy Rush, and whispered, "Tell everyone to keep quiet. Cap'n's asleep. Maybe he won't wake up for a while and give us a chance to rest, eh?"
Guy Rush nodded his head and passed on the message. Bo Copper quietly scooted forward and added more logs to the fire, gently poking at them. The comforting warmth combined with their swollen bellies lulled the crew to sleep in no time.
…
Flit had posted himself a couple of miles south of his friends' location. He was keeping a lookout when he heard the sound of a distant gunshot. The hummingbird followed the source of the noise a bit farther south until he came upon the crew. By the time he arrived, they were preparing a campfire to cook themselves a meal of fresh venison. As they were stagnant, Flit decided to perch himself in a tree overlooking the feasting scoundrels and keep an eye on them until they started to move again. Then the little bird would go back to warn Siwili, John Rolfe, Pocahontas, and the other animals.
Flit's main concern was that the pirates would move on as soon as they finished their feast but that did not turn out to be the case. Fortunately, they all fell asleep around the campfire in the wake of the meal. The hummingbird smiled. If the crewmen were resting, it would give his exhausted friends more time to rest as well. Flit surveyed the area, discovering a few autumn blossoms in a place not far from the crew. He took a break to drink nectar and returned to the tree branch over the campfire. There he remained, staying perfectly awake and alert the whole time to keep watch over the smelly scumbags.
…
Adahy and Kelele had fallen asleep in a bed of dry autumn leaves when they were both awoken by the sound of a loud gunshot from the south. It was too close for comfort. Adahy commanded Kelele to stay put before he went to investigate by himself. Glancing up at the sky, Adahy noted it was past daybreak as he retraced his steps. Hiding in the bushes downwind, he came upon the crew sitting around a campfire as they devoured the flesh of a recently deceased buck. The Copichican crinkled his brow in envy, having only had nuts, berries, pawpaw, and insects to eat over the course of the past several hours.
Adahy spied on the pirates until they finished their meal and eventually fell asleep around the fire, all bloated from overeating. He considered killing one of them just to reduce their numbers but ultimately decided against it as the smaller group was rather tight-knit. If even one of them awoke, they would surely spot him and rouse the rest to chase him down. Genuinely more tired than hungry, Adahy returned to Kelele and led him off farther east in case the pirates awoke before he did. He did not want to be asleep in the middle of their path when they came along, sure that they would show no mercy.
Adahy covered their tracks up well until he found a place to rest near a wild cherry tree at the edge of a small meadow. He fell asleep in the autumn leaves again, snuggled up to Kelele for warmth. While the blade had been silent the whole time, Adahy was far too exhausted to wonder what the demon was thinking. There was no doubt in Adahy's mind that the blade would give him an early wake-up call if it sensed that the pirates were on the move again. The last thing either of them wanted was for the pirates to catch John Rolfe first like they had done the last time. Though their numbers were smaller now, they would surely be more attentive now thanks to Adahy's second act of betrayal.
…
Siwili was the first to rise in the early afternoon, being accustomed to less sleep than the others. He sat up on his bedroll and stretched, glancing to his left to find John Rolfe on his side snuggled up to Ka-Okee and Percy like they were both stuffed animals. The Englishman had not even gotten under the covers the whole day as he slept in the warm sunlight. The warrior's lip curled in amusement before he cast a look over at Pocahontas to Rolfe's left. She and Meeko were sharing a similar position, albeit nestled into her bedroll like it was a cocoon. The raccoon's head poked out of the covers next to hers, resting on the same pillow. The young blonde girl Nicole was sleeping some distance away, curled into the soft grass by a barren patch of wild strawberry plants.
The smell of cooking turkey and boiling fish porridge an hour later roused the others. Siwili sat by the fire, a pile of feathers behind him. He used a makeshift spit to roast different parts of the bird he had killed with his bow. Meeko crawled out of the bedroll and approached the campfire, taking a whiff of the food. Siwili shook a finger at the raccoon as Pocahontas stretched and sat up in bed, her hair a bit frizzled from sleep.
Pocahontas heard John Rolfe groan. She watched him slowly roll onto his back and sit up before glancing at the animals he had been holding in his sleep. After Rolfe had let go of them, Ka-Okee and Percy roused as well. Percy scurried over to the campfire, sitting next to Meeko as he watched the food cook. There was so much of it, he felt excited.
"Did you sleep well, John?" Pocahontas inquired, reaching both arms up into the air as she stretched her back again. She scooted out of her bedroll and began to roll it up neatly.
John Rolfe ran a hand over his disheveled hair, taking out his hair strap and putting it back in properly. "Yes, I don't think I woke up even once. Least not that I can recall," he replied, looking up to assess the location of the sun. It was past midday. Every muscle in his body ached but it did not discourage him. The prior night had been a success. He had led the pirates effectively around and away from the village, saving over a hundred lives.
After John Rolfe rolled up his bedroll, he and Pocahontas made it over to the campfire just as the first pieces of turkey finished cooking. The English gentleman sat between Pocahontas and Siwili. The fish porridge was already boiling, so Pocahontas poured it into a bowl for Rolfe. Meeko came over and sniffed at it. "Shoo, Meeko. I don't think John wants to share," Pocahontas teased, picking the raccoon up and putting him in her lap. "You can have some of the turkey, okay? Mm, doesn't it smell good?" she remarked, taking a whiff. Siwili indicated for Pocahontas to hold out her bowl and she did. He placed a roasted drumstick and a piece of turkey breast inside of it. Pocahontas thanked him and held the pieces up to Meeko's nose. "You can have these two pieces as soon as they cool a little," she revealed to a very happy and very hungry raccoon.
"I wonder how long he's been awake," John Rolfe mused, peering at Siwili.
Pocahontas shrugged as Meeko nibbled on the searing-hot turkey leg, burning himself. He squeaked in pain. "Careful, Meeko. I know you must be hungry," she remarked, turning back to Rolfe. "John, when we're all packed up, I need you to fire your musket. I told Flit we'd call him back with a gunshot when we're ready to go."
"That's no problem, love," John Rolfe replied, sipping the hot fish porridge in his bowl.
Pocahontas set the bowl with turkey on the ground for Meeko and twiddled her thumbs. "Also, there's one other thing I wanted to talk to you about," she mentioned hesitantly.
John Rolfe glanced at her with a raised brow. "Yes, love?"
"Can you… um, show me how to load and shoot the musket?" Pocahontas bashfully inquired, remembering when she had asked her father to teach her archery. Powhatan had been skeptical of her desire to learn but still agreed to do it. Pocahontas had been heavily criticized by the warriors though and she worried that John Rolfe might react the same way that they had. Some men appeared to think that women had no business touching weapons at all or that it was inherently dangerous for them to do so. That attitude was one of a few things that repelled Pocahontas from Kocoum's attempts at courtship.
"Of course," John Rolfe replied without hesitation. "It's really not that difficult. If you want to take up shooting, I can buy you a musket when we get back to Jamestown." Pocahontas smiled and reached over to hug the Englishman around the belly. He laughed. "What's that for, love?" he inquired as he ate another mouthful of the tasty fish porridge.
Pocahontas answered him with a squeeze. She let go and turned her attention back to Meeko, who had already devoured both pieces of meat and was now chewing on the bones. Pocahontas took the empty bowl and held it up just as Siwili offered her three more pieces, the other drumstick and both turkey wings. Percy enjoyed the last of the fish porridge as well as some white meat of the deceased bird. Together, the group ate the entire turkey and then started to pack their things in preparation for traveling.
Pocahontas went to wash the dishes in the stream. Meanwhile, John Rolfe flipped out one of the knives that he had stolen from Spike-Eyes. He pulled up his left sleeve and tested its sharpness on a few sparse forearm hairs, pleased to discover that it was razor sharp. Finally, he could remove all the itchy hair on his face. Just as he brought it to his neck to start shaving, Siwili looked up from his own packing exploit. The warrior gasped and ran over to Rolfe, snatching the knife out of his hand. "Hey!" Rolfe protested, reaching for it.
"Aseté seun to ra do mistraté aba kun, Djahn?" Siwili countered, holding the knife behind his back with his left hand as John Rolfe tried to retrieve it. "A suné ketus taus ekuri!"
John Rolfe pouted and gazed irritably at Siwili. "I just want to shave. I'm not going to cut my own throat. I've done this a million times already!" he futilely argued, offering a hand for the knife's return. Siwili just shook his head. "Please, give it back!" Rolfe pleaded.
Pocahontas overheard the squabble and stopped what she was doing, glancing back at both of them. It was like a comical schoolyard scene. The warrior held John Rolfe back with a palm pressed flat to his forehead as the latter's arms flailed wildly in repeated failed attempts to retrieve his property. "What's going on, John?" Pocahontas inquired, walking up behind Siwili. She took note of the knife with a raised brow.
John Rolfe stepped back, glared at Siwili, and huffed. "I found a razor-sharp knife and I was just trying to shave my face but Siwili won't let me!" He stomped his foot on the ground in frustration. "It's not fair. Siwili doesn't even know what it's like to have a hair problem!" he whined, pointing at the brave accusingly. "He wakes up every day with a flawless smooth-faced appearance and he doesn't even have to lift a finger!"
Pocahontas rolled her eyes. She swiped the knife from Siwili as the man was distracted, handing it back to Rolfe. "Don't give him that! He'll cut himself!" Siwili protested. "What is he trying to accomplish anyway?" Pocahontas shook her head and took him by the hand, dragging him to the forest as Rolfe started on his self-care regimen.
"Thank you, love!" John Rolfe called after them.
When alone, Pocahontas turned to Siwili and explained, "He's just trying to remove the hair from his face. He knows how to do it without getting cut. Trust me, he'll be fine."
Siwili appeared perplexed. "Why would he want to do that?"
"Because he doesn't like it," Pocahontas replied. "He says it itches."
A thoughtful expression befell Siwili. "The ways of these white foreigners are strange," he remarked, glancing through some foliage at John Rolfe back in the meadow. "Why do men like him even grow hair on their faces to begin with?" he inquired curiously.
"Well, I used to wonder that too but then I was made aware that most men in the world grow hair on their faces. It is the men from our land who do not. We're the exception."
"What…? Really?!"
Pocahontas nodded. "I know. Weird, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
Pocahontas beckoned Siwili back to the meadow. "Let's pack and get moving."
When they returned, the warrior walked over to John Rolfe to watch him do his bizarre shaving routine. It was a more entertaining pursuit for Siwili than packing up his stuff. The Englishman had already razed half his face and was working on the other side. It was not the closest shave, for lack of shaving cream, but it would have to do. "Hello again," Rolfe greeted, flashing Siwili a closed-mouth grin as he went about his work. When he was finally done, he put the knife away and started packing up his things.
Siwili held his arm and stopped him, turning the diplomat back to face him. "Astet mo zité?" he murmured with a look of amazement, stroking the Englishman's jawline. True to Pocahontas's words, John Rolfe had managed not to cut himself with the knife.
John Rolfe placed his hands on Siwili's shoulders. "Yes, yes. I'm sure it's all very fascinating, my friend. But let's get a move on, shall we?" he proposed in an amiable tone, pointing over to their rucksacks on the ground. The fawn had just finished dining on her usual greens. She walked over to the Englishman and started to prance around him like a showhorse. The diplomat laughed at her antics and gave her a scratch behind the ears. "Are you full of energy today, Ka? I'll bet that you're ready to walk on your own four feet rather than be carried everywhere, eh?" he proposed, receiving a nod.
Ka-Okee reared up on her hind legs and galloped around the meadow, making graceful leaps and nearly stomping Meeko in the process. John Rolfe put his things away and hefted the pack up onto his knee before swinging it around onto his back. He tied his own waist strap and picked his musket up from its location against the trunk of the shady tree.
Pocahontas came over, packed and ready to go. "Time to signal Flit?" she proposed.
"Of course," John Rolfe replied. "In fact, I thought I'd have you do it. I ought to show Siwili too." When the warrior's name was mentioned, he glanced up from his own packing. Siwili got up and approached when Rolfe beckoned him over. "Watch this," Rolfe instructed, taking the musket in his right hand. He fished out a long white cord from one of the pouches draped around his torso. "This is called a matchcord. First, you need to light the matchcord like so," he explained, kneeling by the embers of the dying campfire. He lit the end of the matchcord and it started to smoke. He held it up in plain view for both Pocahontas and Siwili to see. "Soldiers in battle normally have their commanders light them up, but you can also do it individually on the spot with flint and steel. A soldier on guard also normally keeps his matchcord lit so he's ready to fire anytime. They go through a lot of matchcord that way. Fortunately, it's fairly cheap."
"Okay," Pocahontas replied, paying careful attention.
John Rolfe held the matchcord between the thumb and forefinger of his left hand and used the other fingers and palm of the hand to support the weight of the musket. He dug in another pouch on his right hip for a small packet of white paper. "This is your paper cartridge. It has the gunpowder in it. You first need to put some powder in the priming pan, so you open up the lid like so. You tear the top off of the paper cartridge with your teeth," he explained, demonstrating each act. "Next, you pour a small amount of the gunpowder into the pan. Close the lid and blow the excess off. Make sure you tend to your matchcord every third step such that it is red-hot and ready to fire," the diplomat detailed, blowing on the burning tip of his matchcord to keep it alight.
Siwili stared in awe as John Rolfe went through the steps, though he did not understand the verbal explanation. Pocahontas cocked a brow and remarked, "This is complicated."
"It seems that way at first. But once you get used to it, it'll feel much more intuitive," John Rolfe indicated. "Just like anything else. Now, you lower the stock such that you can see down the muzzle. Then you pour the rest of the gunpowder down the barrel," he continued, sticking the head of the paper cartridge down the muzzle and shaking it out. "Empty it completely. Now is the part where you put the musket ball down there." He reached into the sack at his hip and pulled out a small lead ball, showing it to Pocahontas and Siwili before dropping it down the muzzle. "Then you stick the broken paper down the end and get out your ramrod. You turn it around, shorten it, and push everything all the way down into the bottom of the barrel. Really pack it down there."
"Uh huh?" Pocahontas murmured.
"Take the ramrod out, flip it again, and put it back right where it belongs under the barrel. Blow on the matchcord again," John Rolfe explained, blowing on the burning tip. "This bit here is called the serpentine. You fit the matchcord between the jaws of the serpentine with a bit of it sticking out like so. Now, the gun is finally ready to fire. Do you want to do it, Pocahontas?" the Englishman inquired, offering the gun to the Powhatan woman.
"Yes, of course!" Pocahontas replied, taking the musket in hand.
John Rolfe showed her how to hold it. "Now, be aware when you fire the musket, it's going to give you a kick in the shoulder. Might be startling at first but you get used to it. Point it up into the sky since we don't want to shoot at anything on the ground. Good. Open the lid of the priming pan and pull the trigger when you're ready."
Pocahontas slowly opened the priming pan as John Rolfe had shown her. "Like this?"
"Yes, good," the diplomat returned. "Now I know you aren't trying to aim right now. But if you do try to aim at anything in the future, it's always good to keep both eyes open."
"Okay."
John Rolfe nodded. "Fire," he instructed. Siwili put his hands over his ears as she placed her finger on the trigger and pulled. The gun gave a hefty kick as it exploded into the air.
KA-BOOM!
Ka-Okee panicked and hid behind the tree, whereas Nicole sat bolt upright with a snort. "Who, what?! Wha's happening? Are they here? What was that?!" she cried.
Pocahontas turned to John Rolfe, smiling. "I did it!"
"That's right, you did," Rolfe lauded as she handed the gun back to him. He doused the matchcord and put it away in the sack before closing the pan. Then he handed the gun to Siwili, signaling him to tie it to his travel pack. "Now, we wait for Flit's return and go on our way," he determined, casting a glance south. "I'm sure he won't be long."
…
The distant gunshot immediately roused Captain Flame from his heavy slumber. The man jumped to his feet and glanced around, disoriented at first. Then he peered up into the sky to discover it was past midday. "Men! Wake up!" he charged, kicking a snoozing Blank Samuel right in the side. "Get up! Get up, get up, get up! How could you fools have let me fall asleep? We could have caught Ignacio! I heard him fire his musket and he hasn't even been far off this whole time!" he shouted as the men began to rouse.
Flit heard the gunshot as well. That was his signal. Now that the crew was about to move again, he hurriedly zipped off to find his friends. The first thing he witnessed when he got there was Nicole getting in John Rolfe's face about something. "I told you, I'm trying to get them to follow us. We don't want them to go wandering around and happening upon the village. There are women and children there!" Rolfe snapped back in French.
"There are women here!" Nicole bellowed, gesturing between herself and Pocahontas.
John Rolfe narrowed his eyes at Nicole. "Don't point at Pocahontas like she's helpless! She can take care of herself. And, if not, Siwili and I will take care of her," he retorted.
"Okay, fine! But why did you have to signal them so soon? We don't have any time to eat now after sleeping!" Nicole bellyached, mimicking John Rolfe's irritated tone of voice.
John Rolfe shot Nicole a blank look and rubbed his face with his hand before pointing to the abandoned campfire. A picked-clean turkey ribcage and scattered bones lay in the ashes. "We," he said, signaling to everyone except Nicole, "already ate. You are responsible for your own feeding. So go find your own… Flit!" the Englishman cried happily, switching back to English quite suddenly as the hummingbird buzzed up in front of him. The diplomat offered the little bird a finger to sit on. "Welcome back, my friend. Did you happen to see the pirates when you were out scouting?" he asked.
Flit nodded as Pocahontas strolled over. "Did they hear the gunshot too? Do you know?" Again the answer was affirmative. Pocahontas smiled. "Good!" she declared.
"They must be on their way then. Let's get a move on, everyone. Don't want those curs catching up to us," John Rolfe readily announced, pointing the group northward.
Siwili was about to lead the way but Nicole jumped in front of him. "You can't just not give me anything. I'm a human and I have rights!" she insisted. She tried to run behind John Rolfe and reach for his travel pack. "There has to be food in here somewhere."
"Stop it! I say! No! That's my food, not yours! Mine! Go away!" John Rolfe countered, fleeing her. Nicole gave immediate chase and they ended up running around in circles like children. Siwili snorted in amusement. To Pocahontas's surprise, Rolfe started to laugh. The Englishman then whistled loudly. "Meeko, Percy, Flit, Ka-Okee, Pocahontas, Siwili, let's go! We're not going to let this spoiled brat steal any of our food, are we?" he announced loudly in English, transitioning into a sprint as Nicole tried to catch up to him. He outran the blonde-haired girl quickly, leaving her behind in the dust.
Nicole was most indignant. "You can't just feed yourself and not me, you selfish hog!"
Pocahontas giggled and immediately bolted after John Rolfe the moment that Nicole had the gall to peer in her direction. Siwili, on the other hand, just stood there torn between confusion and amusement. Nicole rounded on him next and tried to get to his rucksack. The Englishman saw this and stopped, jumping up and down hurriedly. "Siwili, run, run, run! Tallyho, let's go!" he called back. "Not a moment to lose, I say!"
Seeing they were playing a game, Siwili smirked as Nicole lunged at him. He deftly dodged past her, snickering to himself. The animals had already caught up to John Rolfe at the head of the group. Siwili sprinted with all his might and quickly closed in on Rolfe, taking the lead. With Nicole lagging behind, they all headed north at a speedy pace.
…
At dusk, the group reached the river skirting Duchi territory. The wide expanse hosted hundreds of jumping fish in the evening. Said fish inspired them to make a dinner stop. Pocahontas went to gather wild onions and mushrooms, Rolfe started a campfire on a bluff over the waters, and Siwili went to the water's edge with his bow to catch fish.
Pocahontas returned with a sack of gatherings after John Rolfe had the fire lit. He stood up as she approached. "Could you tend the fire while I gather more firewood, dear?" he beseeched. Pocahontas nodded and sat down, pulling over a flat stone. A chilly wind blew lightly, adding life to the flames. Rolfe shivered in his hide top. "It is going to be cold tonight," he noted, trodding off into the forest to gather logs, sticks, and kindling.
Ka-Okee snuggled up by Pocahontas's side to keep herself warm and Percy soon joined her. Pocahontas glanced down at the both of them. "Are you two cold? Here," the Powhatan princess offered, reaching into her pack. She pulled out a beaver skin blanket. "It'll remind you of your mother, Ka," she said soothingly, draping the furry side over the pug and fawn. She tucked it in around them to keep the wind from blowing it off. Then she used the flat stone as a surface to chop up the onions and mushrooms. Siwili reappeared with a line of five hickory shad, each about a foot long and still wiggling. "Oh, nice catch!" Pocahontas lauded. "I'll stuff them all and roast them over the fire."
"That sounds great," Siwili replied as he plopped down and started gutting the fish. The brave tossed the inedible innards into the fire. He left the cleaned carcasses on a stone for Pocahontas to tend to and then went to find sticks for a cooking frame, which he set up himself. John Rolfe soon returned with a large pile of firewood in his arms. Pocahontas stuffed all the shad full of wild veggies and began to cook them over the fire.
Meeko started sniffing the fish before they were done cooking. "Patience, Meeko," she chided, gently tapping him on the nose. "You don't want to burn yourself again, do you?"
John Rolfe stuffed more sticks under the frame. "That smells absolutely heavenly," the Englishman remarked. He placed a bundle of wildflowers and soft grasses in front of Ka-Okee. "Got this for you, Ka," he said, giving her a scratch behind the ears. She devoured the offering. "I think if we're going to travel anymore tonight, someone is going to have to carry Ka-Okee. She looks exhausted," he noted as the fawn seemed to fall asleep with her head resting on Pocahontas's thigh. "She is a baby, after all."
"We can take shifts doing that," Pocahontas proposed. "I don't mind taking the first one."
John Rolfe smiled. "Maybe there's a way to make it easier. If we tie the ends of a blanket together with twine, we could drape it over our shoulders and use it as a bundle to carry her." Flit returned from another nectar excursion. He buzzed over to Rolfe and landed on the man's knee, weary. "You look like you could use a good long sleep too, Flit. You're our sentinel so we had better keep you well-rested for when we need to sleep, eh?"
Flit nodded as John Rolfe stuffed some dried autumn leaves and grasses into his front shirt pocket to make a nice little nest. He placed the bird inside for warmth. Finally, the fish were almost falling apart on the frame. Everybody used flat stones for plates. Siwili, John Rolfe, Pocahontas, Meeko, and Percy each got their own fish. Once the food cooled sufficiently, they all readily devoured their meals until nothing but bones remained.
After they were done packing, John Rolfe used a stick to write 'COME GET ME, UGLY' into the dirt. He drew an arrow pointing westward. "Hee hee, that ought to get him," Rolfe whispered to himself, amused at his own audacity. Percy walked over and peered at the text and then up at Rolfe. "I'm already dead if he catches me again anyway so I see no reason not to have fun with this," he reasoned, abashed by the pug's skeptical look.
With a bundled fawn hanging from her torso, Pocahontas approached and laughed when she read the words. "I had no idea you were so cheeky, John," she remarked.
"Captain Lame brings it out in me," John Rolfe admitted, shamelessly placing the blame for his impish behavior elsewhere. Pocahontas snorted and burst into raucous laughter. Siwili came over with his rucksack on his back. He tilted his head at the strange markings in the dirt. Rolfe pointed a thumb at him and uttered, "I know what he'd be thinking if he could read that. He would think 'This fellow is awfully bold for someone who had to be rescued.' And that is why I am thankful Siwili doesn't currently know English."
Pocahontas laughed harder, clutching her ribcage as it started to ache from too much amusement. Siwili turned to her with an inquisitive eye, wishing he could be in on the joke. Pocahontas clapped a hand over her mouth to force herself to stop chortling.
John Rolfe cleared his throat and picked up his musket. "I believe it's time to signal those swashbuckling ninnies," he announced, reaching in a pouch for his matchcord. "Ah, there you are," he uttered, pulling it out. He lit the tip from the campfire and loaded the musket. Once it was prepared to fire, he glanced back at Pocahontas. "Why don't you bring Ka-Okee over that way and hold onto her tight so she doesn't get too scared?"
"Good idea," Pocahontas replied, giggling as she trod off to do as John Rolfe had asked.
Just before John Rolfe was about to fire, he heard a footstep from the brush and pointed the muzzle toward it. "Who goes there?!" he called. The blonde stepped out, looking even more dangerously thin than the last time they had seen her that afternoon. She stood on two shaky legs and collapsed when she spotted them. Rolfe was relieved. "Oh, it's just you," he uttered in French, placing a hand to his thumping heart. Once he had recovered his sense of security, he aimed the musket high up into the air and fired.
Nicole screamed at the top of her lungs in fright. "Why do you keep doing that?!" she raged, still panting from the exertion of trying to catch up with them. She pushed herself up on hands and knees and sniffed the air, detecting the lingering scent of roasted fish.
"Already told you," John Rolfe countered, closing the lid pan. He doused the matchcord and put it away. Then he watched Nicole scramble over to the dying campfire and begin to lick and suck on the discarded fishbones. The sight made him want to gag. "Ew."
Pocahontas returned after calming Ka-Okee down. "What…? Is that Nicole? Is she…? Ew!" the Powhatan woman spouted when she saw what the girl was doing. "Percy licked those clean already. Didn't you, Percy?" she praised, glancing down at the pug.
Percy nodded. "Hold on, everyone," John Rolfe spoke, signaling them to stay put. He approached Nicole and knelt at her side with an unreadable look. "Tell me, young miss," he began, threading his fingers together. "Have you learned anything through all this?"
John Rolfe saw Nicole stiffen before she glanced up at him slowly through tearful glassy eyes. She dropped the fishbones back into the pile of ashes. "I…" she barely whispered.
John Rolfe waited for her to continue, but she struggled to form words. "Yes? Go on."
Nicole pushed herself up into a sitting position and sighed, wrapping her arms around her knees. She hiccuped and buried her face in her arms. "I should've stayed in the village."
John Rolfe's face brightened. "That's right! That is correct," he lauded, jumping up to his feet. He spun toward Pocahontas, switching to English. "Love, we've had a breakthrough at last! Nicole, heaven help us, has actually learned something from all of this!"
Pocahontas's eyes widened as she strolled over. "What…? Seriously?"
"Yes! She just admitted it! She finally acknowledged that she should've stayed in the village. God bless her heart, her stubborn little heart that so doubted my words!"
Nicole burst into tears. "What do I do?! I'm sorry I didn't listen! I'd go back now if I could but I know I'd just run into the pirates! Please! I beg you to tell me what to do, Monsieur! I'll do anything! I'll listen this time, I promise! I'll do whatever you say!"
"Excellent!" John Rolfe replied, sitting in a squat. He draped his arms over his knees and laced his fingers together again as he gazed down at Nicole. "Now, I'll tell you what we're going to do," he calmly explained. She stopped crying and peered at him intently. "We're going to look straight to the Almighty, which is, of course, what we should naturally be doing at every possible opportunity anyway. First, you must ask forgiveness for your sins and then we will pray for our Creator to send you what you need. Come, we pray," Rolfe expressed, clasping his hands together as an example to her.
Nicole looked surprised but followed his example, closing her eyes. "Dear God," she began weakly, "p-please forgive me for the selfish things I have done since my last confession. I'm sorry for everything I did to John Rolfe and Pocahontas on the ship and afterward. I'm sorry for taking the gifts the Indians gave me for granted. They saved my life and I should have been thankful. I'm also sorry for not listening to Monsieur Rolfe and trying to follow him on this dangerous journey, even though he warned me not to."
"Perfect," John Rolfe declared. "I think that covers just about everything. Now, my turn. Dear God Almighty, you have heard this child's prayer and I ask you to forgive her for these abominable actions she has committed. I know you know Pocahontas and I cannot bring her with us because our travels will likely get even more perilous before they get better. I put my trust in you to look out for Nicole Lorrise St. Germaine and guide her to safety or, alternatively, bring someone along who can help her survive in this wilderness. As a show of my trust in you, I give her this offering to tide her over until you can make such arrangements for her." He untied his waist strap and swung the pack off his back, perusing its contents. He offered her what remained of his trail mix and some dried fish.
Holding the items in her small hands, the blonde girl peered at both of them like they were precious gems. "Th-thank you," Nicole whimpered to him, sniffling again.
John Rolfe clasped his hands again. "God, thank you for listening. Amen," he finished. He rose to his feet and hefted his travel pack back on, tying the waist strap. He glanced down to Nicole. "Don't forget to say grace," he reminded her. "Farewell, dear child." He turned, switching back to English as he addressed Pocahontas. "Alright, let's go."
Pocahontas turned to follow Siwili just as Nicole reached out and cried, "Wait!"
John Rolfe stopped and glanced back at the French girl. "Yes, mademoiselle?"
"Don't go! Don't leave me alone! I thought…"
"You're not alone," John Rolfe interrupted. "God and Jesus Christ are with you. Their spirits surround you in an aura of safety. Remember your faith. Now, I must depart."
Nicole started to shiver. "But it's so cold!"
John Rolfe pointed her to the dying campfire with a pile of excess firewood near the pit. "Revive the fire and warm up. If the pirates come along, hide. Once daylight comes, you start right back in the direction you came from and return to the village. It's straight south of here, so that shouldn't be too hard for you to do. South is right of the rising sun. Fortunately, thus far, we have only been traveling in one direction. Furthermore, the nut mix I gave you should provide enough energy to make it back." For the last time, Rolfe turned and left. His companions rapidly disappeared into the darkness along with him.
…
Every sound in the blackness frightened the living daylights out of Nicole. She stayed by the meager fire, much too afraid to venture into the forest for more wood. She heard coos and hoots, growls and things moving through the brush. A wolf howled in the distance, sending a spike of fear jolting through her. She had long since said her thanks and eaten the dried fish that John Rolfe had provided. It took every ounce of willpower to save the trail mix for when she would be on the move again. She was still hungry but the pangs were not as bad as they had been. Her sleeveless buckskin dress was not enough to keep her warm in the chill and she shivered as the fire began to die. When she peered up, she squealed at the sight of several pairs of beady eyes watching her from the darkness.
The soft sound of a footstep frightened the unidentified creatures, causing them to scatter and run off. Nicole thought she heard what sounded like a dog's panting. More footsteps approached. Nicole turned and crawled into the brush, hoping to hide from whoever or whatever it was. The glowing embers of the fire revealed a human form stepping forth near the fire pit. "Come out! I know you're hiding," a voice charged in English, words that Nicole did not understand at all. Her heart pounded and she closed her eyes, praying that whoever it was would just go away. More footsteps approached and then a strong hand yanked her out of the brush, dragging her back near the fire. The man dropped her there on the flat earth. "Who are you? You are not who I was looking for."
Nicole barely found the courage to raise her head and glance up at the man. He looked like one of the natives yet he was wearing white men's clothes. "S-s'il vous plaît, monsieur. Ne pas me faire du mal!" she cried. An oddly familiar-looking hound was sitting right at the man's side. The dog boldly walked up to her. "Noel?" she whispered. The dog licked her hand. "Noel! C'est toi!" She peered fearfully up at the man. "Êtes… Êtes-vous un pirate?" she inquired fearfully, trembling from both cold and fear.
Adahy had been very proficient in French at one time. He had been to France with Captain Bleud but that had been a long time ago. These days, his language skills from the foreign land were rusty at best. "Parlez pas Anglais?" he inquired with a pitiful accent.
Nicole shook her head. "I am from St. Augustine," she spoke slowly in her native tongue so he would understand, narrowing her eyes. "Are you or are you not a pirate, monsieur?"
"Not," Adahy replied.
The dog moved closer to Nicole and she hugged him around the neck. "Then why do you have my father's dog Noel?" she asked. She did not know what to make of the man.
"The dog is loyal to me. His name is Kelele," Adahy corrected, only slightly irritated. "I did not steal him. The pirates tried to kill him and I saved his life. As he did mine."
Nicole blinked. "Kelele is not a bad name," she softly uttered. The dog whined a little and then Nicole blushed slightly. "Th-thank you for saving him, monsieur."
"Listen, girl," Adahy charged, not wanting to prattle. "Did you see a white man come by here with a warrior and dark-skinned woman? I am searching for them. They have done me wrong," he expressed, showing her his stump-wrist. Nicole gasped.
"That's awful!" she expressed. "Did they do that?" He nodded. "I'm so sorry!"
Adahy looked away. "It is not your doing."
"They… I mean, the people you're talking about, they left me here. They said they were going on a long dangerous journey to Jamestown and I was not allowed to come. They said I was too weak," Nicole murmured indignantly, wrapping her arms around her legs.
"Which way did they go?" Adahy interrogated. "Did they cross the river here?"
Nicole shook her head and pointed west. "They went that way. What are you going to do if you catch them? Cut their hands off too?" she asked, bringing her fingers to her lower lip worriedly. "My father told me revenge is a bad thing. Can't you try to forgive them?"
Adahy sneered. "Never!"
"You'll feel better if you do. Hurting them won't make your hand grow back."
Actually, it will, the demon reminded Adahy in a devious whisper.
Adahy shook his head at Nicole. "You know nothing." He whistled for Kelele. The dog gave Nicole one final lick and readily loped alongside his new master. The duo turned west. "Goodbye, girl. Flame's crew will be here soon. I recommend you hide," Adahy advised, glancing over his shoulder. "They will find you if you stay here. Go east."
"Wait!" Nicole cried, jumping up. "You're not going to leave me here too, are you? Please, I don't stand a chance out here on my own!" she pleaded, quickly pursuing him.
Adahy snorted. "That is not my concern."
Nicole reached him and stumbled, landing on her face in the soft autumn leaves. She grabbed his ankle and burst into tears. "Don't leave me, monsieur! I'll make myself useful. I can be your hands," she begged, holding on. "Please, I can't stand to be alone!"
Either kill her or leave her, the blade instructed. Her soul is not worth much.
Adahy kicked her off. "I am perfectly capable on my own. You will only slow me down."
Nicole scrambled to her feet and ran after him. She dashed between him and Kelele, turning back to block their path. "Please, monsieur! If you take me along, I'll… I'll…"
"You'll what?!" Adahy charged, annoyed. He crossed his arms in a look of irritation.
Nicole bit her lip, wracking her brain. She could think of one thing and one thing only. As shameful as it was, she saw no alternative. She took a deep breath and steeled herself for a negative reaction. Then she rapidly stepped forward and seized him around the waist with her slender arms, pressing her lips to his and hoping to God he would not revile her.
Adahy froze at first, all reasonable thoughts and plans dissipating in the moment. Once his mind registered what was happening, he found himself melting into the young woman. Nothing else seemed to matter. The kiss felt like eternity but, in reality, it was only a few seconds before the demon protested. You must kill her now! it ordered. She is distracting you. Adahy's eyes popped open when he heard the blade's whisper. He peered at Nicole, her delicate eyelids and soft blonde lashes closed in bliss. Adahy did not move away from her. Rather he drew his brows together and picked his boot up off the ground, bending his knee so he could get to the blackstone dagger. Adahy reached back carefully, clutching the hilt in his hand. Yes… yes… the blade encouraged in anticipation.
Nicole finally drew back with a contented sigh, blushing. "I…" she uttered shyly.
But before Nicole could even finish a sentence, Adahy took the glowing blade and threw it as far as his natural strength would allow. The demon had no time to react before Adahy could not even hear its voice anymore, its venomous whispering voice. With the demon gone, his mind suddenly became clear. It was an unfamiliar sensation.
Nicole squealed in startlement at his sudden motion. "Wh-what was that?!" she cried.
Adahy took her arm and turned eastward. "Nothing important," he replied, whistling for Kelele to follow. "Come, let us seek food and shelter where the crew will not find us."
…
OCTOBER 21, 1613
Pocahontas and the others had traveled west through the night, their movement and clothing keeping them warm enough in the nighttime chill. As the dawn rose, so did the temperatures. The group felt it was a good time to stop and take another rest when they came upon yet another beautiful meadow. As they were still at the river, Siwili caught some more big jumping fish and they had fish stew for breakfast. Ka-Okee woke up and went to eat more grasses, leaves, and flowers while the others ate their meal.
Meeko found a gooseberry bush. After eating his fill, he pointed it out to Pocahontas. The latter gathered some in a bowl for the others. Once everyone was full, Siwili laid out the bedrolls and Flit was sent out on his usual daytime patrol. Everyone else fell asleep.
It was not long into the day when John Rolfe started tossing, turning, and mumbling in his sleep. Being a wary warrior, Siwili was a light sleeper and was the first to wake up and notice the Englishman's distress. "Let me go," Rolfe uttered, jerking his legs at random. Percy had been sleeping next to the diplomat but was woken up by his agitation. The sleepy pug moved over to Pocahontas instead and plopped down, yawning.
"Djahn?" Siwili spoke, placing a hand on the Englishman's shoulder. He shook lightly.
"No!" John Rolfe cried. He kicked and tossed, making a mess of his bedroll.
The outburst roused Pocahontas and she sat up, glancing over toward the men. "John?" she murmured, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She noticed Siwili was awake too.
"Bad dream," Siwili indicated in Gunalo. He shook John Rolfe harder. "Djahn! Djahn!"
Pocahontas leaned over and shook him as well. "John, wake up! John!"
John Rolfe's eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright, darting glances around the meadow. Pocahontas rubbed his shoulder and he peered at her in alarm. "Pocahontas?"
"You were having a bad dream," Pocahontas informed him. "What was it about?"
John Rolfe thought for a second. "I can't remember but my heart is pounding slightly," he divulged, placing a hand to his chest. He glanced over to find Siwili digging around in his own travel pack. The warrior pulled out a small grape-sized root and offered it to Rolfe.
John Rolfe accepted the item, gazing at it with a blank look on his face. Siwili pointed to his own cheek and mimed a sucking action. "Si véla don en abit zet. Minika ti ablet sim," he said. Pocahontas understood Siwili's words to mean "Put it in your cheek and suck on it. I'll be annoyed if you wake me up again." The diplomat cocked a brow in confusion.
"I think he just wants you to suck on it, John," Pocahontas indicated.
John Rolfe raised a brow. "Why? What for?"
"Just do it," Pocahontas said, lying back. She scooted her bedroll closer to John Rolfe's as he experimentally licked the root. Then she reached over to straighten out his bedroll.
"It doesn't taste like anything," John Rolfe remarked, putting it in his mouth. He pushed the item into his cheek as Siwili had indicated and sucked on it, his eyes half-lidded.
"Shh," Pocahontas replied. "Lie down and go to sleep."
John Rolfe did as told and lay on his side, facing Pocahontas. His lids felt heavier as she reached over and scratched his head. "Mm," he murmured. "That feels good." She smiled. Ka-Okee had been exploring the meadow nearby, but she decided it was time for a nap. She returned to Rolfe's side and lay down between him and Pocahontas.
…
The crew was beat when they came upon their quarry's last campsite on the bluff over the wide river. Flame checked the fire pit, finding the fire was completely out. Not an ember remained. "They left this place many hours ago, it seems. Curse it!"
"Uh… captain?" the bosun's voice called.
Flame turned and stomped over to the bosun. He saw the words 'COME GET ME, UGLY' written in the dirt, along with a west-pointing arrow. Flame snarled angrily and kicked the dirt, obscuring the words. "I'll kill 'im! That Ignacio is dead, you hear me!"
"The rude message is not what I was trying to point out, sir," the bosun expressed. "The arrow says he went west. It could be a false trail. He could have gone straight across the river," he noted, pointing over the wide blue waters. "Why would he turn west if he was going straight north before? West is opposite the coast—where the ship would be."
Flame cursed again. "By gods, you're right. I'll send men to swim the river and check for signs of passing on the other side. Meanwhile, you follow this 'false trail' with Françoise and see how false it really is. The rest of us will stay at the campsite. If you find that you are sure they went west, fire your musket and that's the way we'll go," he decreed.
The bosun curled a lip, sure that Flame was finding an excuse to rest while still imagining he was doing something useful to find the deserters and the lost ship. The bosun was not about to contest the captain's orders though. He hated arguing with Flame. "Very well."
"Buckle Bree, Bo Copper!" Flame shouted out loud enough to deafen the bosun. He started barking out orders at the crew, sending the aforementioned men across the river.
The bosun whistled for Françoise and headed west, desperate to get away from Flame's irritating voice. Françoise followed the scent trail for many yards. Once she and the bosun had trod far enough for their view of the crew to be obscured by brush and foliage, Françoise stopped on one spot in particular and began sniffing around heavily.
"What is it, girl?" the bosun inquired, approaching. He followed her nose to a dark spot in the layers of pine needles. Something gleamed on the littered forest floor. He raised a brow and brushed aside the needles. He picked up a bizarre-looking black dagger. What the hell is this? he wondered as he held the item in the palm of his hand and turned it over curiously. He had never seen any other weapon of its kind before. It was totally unique.
Sawisa'longuess'ta'riksauritza, a voice whispered in his ear.
The bosun's breath got caught in his throat and he dropped the sharp blade. He spun this way and that, his eyes darting around for the source of the voice that had whispered his real name. His one true birth name. The name of his royalty and of his long-lost home. He had not been called by that glorious name in so long that he had all but forgotten what it sounded like. Now, he had heard it once again and it was all too real. The bosun froze, trembling with strong emotions and bitter memories. He slowly gazed back down at the strange dagger on the ground. The thing was glowing, pulsating, beckoning.