Thank you guys for your reviews, favorites, and follows! Like I said before, I hadn't really expected a response from this story at all. So far, I've been pleasantly surprised. I'm really enjoying writing this story and I hope that you enjoy reading it just as much!

Have a great weekend!

-lightinside

(p.s. Everyone reading this, I'm assuming, has seen Pocahontas and knows all about her story and her love for John Smith. It is my intention to focus mainly on Joanna and Kocoum throughout this story. If I need to, I'll tie some parts in, but there's another twist I'm adding. Kocoum will not die! I always found that completely unfair and unnecessary and will bring about the almost war between the English and the Powhatan Indians in a different way.)

After four grueling months of storms, sickness, and more, I found myself racing to the edge of the deck and leaning over while the sailors around me prepared the ship to port.

I'd heard the men complaining at night, wishing for their families or their homes, some of them cried from time to time, though no one ever talked about it afterward. John, of course, being the fearless natural-born adventurer and leader that he was, was the life of the lot. All he did was speak of the wonders we would find when we finally did arrive at our destination and now it seemed that everyone was finally beginning to believe him. Some of the more distracted deckhands that I noticed out of the corner of my eye jumped into action when Governor Ratcliffe came bursting on deck from his cabin below with Wiggins and that prissy mutt of the Governor's in tow.

I didn't actually know what purpose Wiggins served other than fetching Ratcliffe miscellaneous nothings and taking care of Percy, the most spoiled and selfish animal I'd ever come in contact with and who obviously thought himself a prince. Wiggins treated him as one, I knew, and there were times like now as I watched him almost sneer at the rest of us through judgmental, beady eyes, that I wanted to douse him with a bucket full of dirty water used to swab the deck.

John, however, always found the dog a delight. I think my brother enjoyed teasing the rascal just as much as I liked daydreaming about tossing him overboard.

"Joanna?" John's voice was suddenly at my ear. "When we land, don't worry about your things. Thomas and the rest will take them into the settlement. I'm heading out before Ratcliffe can assign duties."

"You had better be taking me with you." I muttered discreetly as I stared out over the ocean and at the fast approaching spread of land before us. It was beautiful at first sight. I could see rows and rows of the tallest trees that I had ever laid eyes on – pines, they were, their needles littering the ground. And I expected this kind of beauty to stretch all throughout the settlement, but I was sorely disappointed.

Before my brother could answer, the anchor was lowered and the gangplank was being placed so that we could begin unloading the ship. I saw right away that Jamestown would be nothing more than mud, crudely chopped wood, and a lone flag that stood flapping in the wind when Ratcliffe and the rest of the men were through with it.

Cringing internally at the thought of them digging up this beautiful land that surrounded us, my gaze shifted to the forest and I realized that I wouldn't be staying in the settlement for very long anyway.

"Of course I am." John said finally, snapping me out of my thoughts. "You think I'd leave you here to assassinate Percy?"

I tried not to smile. "What do you take me for?"

"Not an animal lover."

"I like animals!" I shot back seriously and then gave up. "Just not that one."

John laughed softly and threw an arm around my shoulders, helping me through the throng of men so that we could leave the ship. "You're such a snob, Joanna. Hating animals because they hail from society."

"Spoiled animals." I reminded him, gesturing discreetly to the object of my hatred that was now being fitted with a hat by Ratcliffe's assistant. "That dog is plotting to overthrow the human race. I can just see it in his eyes."

"Think we'd be employed under his rule?"

"As footstools, possibly." I told him, giggling openly now. We were well past Ratcliffe and on land, hurrying off to the edge of the forest, when we were stopped by Thomas.

"Hey!" he called, running over to my brother. "Where are you going?"

Instead of waiting for John to answer, I jumped in the conversation with my own reply. "We're going to have a look around. Don't tell anyone where we've gone, Thomas. Ratcliffe especially. You haven't seen us since we left the ship. Understand?"

"Completely." He answered me with conviction, but I could see the uncertainty dancing in his eyes. "When will you be back?"

I glanced at my brother with a smile. "I wouldn't look for us anytime soon."

"What about Indians, John?" Thomas asked fretfully, looking over his shoulder at the Governor as he arrived on the shore. "You're bound to run into some of them if you just go wandering off."

John held up the rifle he'd retrieved from the boat. "If there are any Indians out there, I'll be ready for them."

I didn't dare open my mouth to refute my brother's statement in front of Thomas, but it made me uneasy. Looking from him to the gun in his hand, I realized that he would sooner shoot the Indians than give them a chance. And it was then that my opinion of him began to change.

When Thomas had gone to greet the rest of the men and receive instructions from Ratcliffe, John and I made our escape. I couldn't help but gape, openmouthed, at the new world I suddenly found myself in. As I walked, I dragged my fingers over the bark of the surrounding trees and inhaled the scent of the forest – a salty pine sort of smell that I knew must have been in existence there because the ocean was so near.

"Look at it, Joanna!" My brother exclaimed, laughing wildly as he began to scale one of the trees. "I couldn't design a wilder or a more challenging land! The adventure that's waiting for us… can you feel it?"

As happy as I was to be there, I couldn't help but think about his earlier statement. "John… would you really shoot one of them even if they posed no harm? The Indians. "

"Joanna." He sighed. "Will you please stop worrying and enjoy this for a moment?"

"I am enjoying it." I told him, crossing my arms. "It's beautiful. But the intentions that you have are obviously not pure. You never told me that you supported Ratcliffe."

John's spirits seemed to be dampened by my accusations, but he answered me still. "I don't, Joanna. Not entirely."

The fact that he would only deny his involvement in the expedition partially was enough to set me immediately on edge. "Then you admit it! There is some part of you that is so cold and so inhuman that you would rather shoot someone at first glance on the assumption that they would do the same to you given the chance. How barbarian of you, John!"

"Barbarian?" John started at the word. "You know nothing of barbarians, sister. And you know nothing of the world or the people in it and yet you would still side with them over me?"

"Grow up, John." I snapped. "It is not about taking sides with people, but realizing the difference between the right and the wrong. And right now, you are in the wrong just like everyone else digging up this land! 'For glory, God, and gold'? This whole venture is based solely on greed and you knew!"

"So did you, Joanna, no one had to say it aloud. And you still came along. What does that make you, I wonder?"

Anger boiled in my veins, taking over in an instant as I stabbed a finger in the direction of his rifle. "And what does that make you?"

John's eyes wandered to the rifle and back to me, his expression suddenly softening. "Joanna…"

"You know, brother, I would have liked to believe you were different than the rest of them. I thought so highly of you. I still do, God help me. But you are making a mistake – a mistake that you may not recover from should you follow the course you're on now." I was firm, but I felt like underneath my frank words, there was an air of pleading. I wanted my brother to be different, to be human. I thought nothing of the other scoundrels who'd made the trip with us other than Thomas, who I knew would never harm another soul unless he was made to do so against his will.

"I am different." John insisted. "If you would just listen –"

"I'm going for a walk. Come along if you wish, but if not, I'd prefer to be left alone for a while."

"Joanna, you cannot just go wandering off alone! You're not the only one out here!"

"And what have I to worry about?" I cried, dress swishing gently despite my animated movements as I waved my arms about in anger. "Savages? Oh, yes, John. The very people we're stealing from killing me in cold blood. Imagine how fitting it would be."

John's features contorted in anger at my flippant statement and he grabbed my arm. "Joanna that is enough!"

Yanking my arm away, I managed to throw him slightly off balance just long enough to gain my own footing and begin to storm off. "I'll be back by nightfall."

Before he could open his mouth to call out for me, I was long gone. This was indeed the most reckless thing I could possibly be doing and I was very well aware of that fact as I tore through the forest, swatting at the trees and bushes as I made my way past. The things that were so breathtaking to me a few moments ago were now tainted with my own anger. I was positively fuming, but underneath my anger I knew that I was simply hurt. And underneath my hurt, I was becoming more nervous by the second.

I had no idea how to get back to the settlement. I hardly had a clue where I was going! I only knew that I was more lost than ever when I finally stopped walking. And I supposed there was some small part of me that feared that the native inhabitants of this new land might spot me and think me dangerous. Though, the more I thought about it, a woman in a dress couldn't seem all that threatening. Maybe strange, but not threatening.

I had nothing to worry about. All I needed to do was calm down and turn back the way I came. But when I tried to do so, I couldn't tell which direction I had come from. It was a forest! Everything looked the same to me.

For a moment, I thought about calling out for my brother, but found that an unwise course of action. If there were people around, then I would give myself away. So, I bit my lip and decided that if I was lost I ought to make the best of it.

I decided then and there that I would be brave and explore, as John and I had initially set out to do.

After all, what could go wrong?