by Rye Hart
Connor looked down at us for a moment before lowering himself to his knees and wrapping his arms around Ariel. “I forgive you too,” he whispered.
My heart swelled with pride as I looked at him. It takes a bigger man to forgive than it does to be angry. He wrapped his arms around us and as I looked up I saw the dove flutter out into the sunset as if to say that its job was done here.
Now it was up to us.
Chapter Ten
Things only got better after that day. I expected there to be some residual anger, but everyone seemed willing to forgive Ariel for all of her trespasses. I hadn’t been the only person she’d been cruel to, though I had borne most of it. Despite her reputation in town and her past actions, the local women were ready to forgive her and bring her back into the folds of society.
Ariel was doing her part was well. She tried to make her relationship with her husband work and was surprised to find that they actually had a lot in common. They ended up having a second wedding and it was everything Ariel ever dreamed her wedding would be. She was finally happy and expecting her second child, though she was much more excited about it this time round.
We became good friends and started spending more and more time together. Her son and Regina were the best play mates and we both enjoyed watching them waddle around and play with the handmade toys Ariel’s husband made for them.
There was no bad blood between us, though Ariel would occasionally try to apologize for everything that had happened between us in the early days of my arrival. She only recently stopped bringing it up and I was just happy that we were finally putting all of it behind us. Ariel was my friend now and what happened in the past was going to stay there. I had no intention of ruining a good friendship over it.
A few short months after the incident at the ravine, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The closer we got to meeting our child, the more nervous Connor became. He was worried that the stress over the incident with Ariel was going to complicate my birth, but none of his worries became reality. Charley was born a healthy baby and I was just fine too.
Charley was beautiful. He had my fiery hair and his father’s honey-colored eyes. He was a good child and rarely cried or fussed. Even Regina was enamored with him. She would peek at him while he slept and touch his face; it was a rather adorable sight.
I smiled softly as I watched Connor guide the cattle into the stables for the evening. Fall was right around the corner and I was trying to enjoy the last few nights of cool weather before it became unbearably cold.
The sun was just starting to set, casting beautiful shadows over the plains. The cows lowed as they were led into the stables, making sure that Connor knew they weren’t happy about being locked up for the evening. If you would have told me three years ago that I would have had an opinion on what cows think, I would have told you that you were crazy.
Connor walked over to us, taking his hat off and hanging it in a tree as he settled on the blanket beside me. He grinned up at me and snatched Regina off the blanket, making her squeal. She was walking now and often got into a mess of trouble, though it wasn’t ever anything serious.
“It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?” I asked, watching the sun slowly disappear behind the mountains in the distance. I’d always wanted to visit the mountains.
Connor nodded, cocking his head to the side and then looking up at me. “Not nearly as beautiful as you, though.”
After all this time, he still managed to make my cheeks heat up and my heart flutter. No matter how much time passed, I knew I’d always be desperately in love with him. Connor made me come alive; I had so much to thank him for.
I smiled and turned, catching his lips in a tender kiss. “This is paradise. I think when we go to Heaven it’s going to be nights like this.” I whispered. “You, me, the babies and the sunset.”
“I sure hope so. Otherwise Heaven might be a little lackluster compared to this,” he said with a teasing smile.
He was joking, but I couldn’t have agreed more. This moment was utter perfection. I never wanted to leave this place. I wanted to live out the rest of my days in Billings, Montana with my little family. I’d always wanted adventure, but my path led me here to this meadow and I couldn’t have been happier.
I was home.
The End
Dyani
Chapter One
I had always been a curious child, though that wasn’t considered a bad thing. The Crow people valued intelligence and curiosity. I would never think my desire to learn a strange thing until I met the white men. I was a young child when they came to our valley and settled in. I wasn’t afraid of them like the others, however. When I saw these strange humans building their odd-looking teepees, I only became more curious.
When I got too close, my mother would pull me away, shielding me in her pelts. She did not want the strange men to see me. She was afraid they would steal me away. Most of the mothers feared for the children. There was a tight tension that ran through our camp and it was almost as if my people expected that the men would destroy us. There was an anxious fear that settled over my people.
One day, I had managed to sneak away from my mother’s protective watch. My heart was beating out of my chest with excitement as I wandered away from camp. I knew that what I was doing was dangerous, but young children did not often understand just how dire the situations they put themselves in could be.
When I glanced back over my shoulder I was surprised that I could hardly see the sticks that held my home up. For a moment I considered going back. Maybe this was too dangerous. Maybe I was making a mistake. I glanced toward the woods and pursed my lips. If I did not move forward, I would never know what lay beyond my peoples’ land. I would always have questions but no answers.
Finally, I decided to push on and wander into the woods. The trees were dense and offered shade from the hot summer sun. It cooled my tanned skin and I sighed in relief as I moved through the forest silently. I was one with nature, my body moving easily with the wind and the trees. I did not make a sound as I ran toward the camp, a grin on my face.
I was only about ten feet from the tree line when I heard the wet sound of a rock splashing in the river. I blinked and turned toward the water, wandering over to it. As I poked my head around the side of the tree I noticed a young, pale-skinned boy standing at the edge of the river, looking down into it and tossing rocks into the calm waters.
I looked around for a moment, wondering if there were others around. When it seemed that the boy was alone, I wandered out from behind the tree and smiled just a little. I did not speak his language, but that did not matter. We’d figure out a way to communicate.
As I came to stand beside him he jumped, wide eyed as he turned to look at me. He seemed startled and almost scared. He appeared to be about my age and I could not help but wonder if we enjoyed the same things.
“Hello?” he whispered, voice weak and on edge.
I did not understand so I just picked up a flat rock and skipped it across the surface of the water. He seemed impressed and so I showed him how to do it. With that, it seemed that our friendship had begun. We did not talk, though he tried. It was a valiant effort.
After a long moment of silence, he dropped his rock and turned to me, pointing at his own chest. “Johnathan.”
He repeated it a few more times and I slowly began to understand. This boy wanted to know my name. I smiled and pointed to my own pelt covered chest.
“Dyani.”
He smiled and held his hand out. I just looked at it and he eventually took my hand and put it in his. My cheeks flushed red as we shook hands. I did not know what the gesture meant, but I realized that I liked touching him. I expected his skin to be cooler than mine, but it wasn’t, and it made my chest flutter in a strange way.
That was the first of many days we would spent together. I never told my family about him and I could only assume that he never told his about me. I wasn’t entirely sure how his people felt about mine, but j
udging by the tension on either side, I had to guess that it was not positive.
Our differences did not matter to us, though. We spent our days doing our best to learn each other’s languages and to show each other things we knew. I taught him which plants could be turned into medicines and which ones were poisonous, and he taught me how use a pistol. We were young and our friendship was strong.
There were times when we would be laying under a tree, watching the clouds pass overhead and we would turn and catch each other’s eyes. His cheeks would go red and I would smile, my own heart beating excitedly. It was something I did not really understand, I thought that this was how you must feel when you found your true best friend.
We’d been good friends for well over a year and we would meet and play in the woods. We even stole kisses here and there, but one day he just stopped coming. The first few days I figured it was because he was busy with other things, or maybe he was sick. His family had a farm and Johnathan had a lot of responsibilities. As the days turned to weeks, however, I began to understand that he wasn’t coming back. I feared that he’d grown tired of our friendship.
It was the first heartbreak I’d ever experienced, and I’d never forget it. I went back to my life as usual, but I did not forget Johnathan or the things he’d taught me. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t angry. I’d felt betrayed and pushed aside, but I knew I was going to have to put those feelings aside if I was going to move on.
As I got older, my interest in Johnathan’s people only intensified. I wanted to learn everything I could about them. My family wasn’t happy about it and they tried to derail my interest, but nothing they did mattered. I had my mind made up.
I was going to be a part of that world, with or without Johnathan.
Chapter Two
As time passed, my people’s relationship with the pale man improved. There wasn’t as much tension and there was a silent understanding that as long as we both kept to ourselves, we would leave one another alone. We traded with them on occasion, but for the most part we minded our own business. Communication was difficult since I was the only native that spoke English. It had been hard to learn, but a kindly pale woman had given me some English books on a trade once. I used those as well as little bits of conversation I could catch when I wandered close enough to their little town.
I was eighteen now and ready to explore the world I had watched from afar for so long. My parents could not stop me anymore, though my mother begged me not to go with tears in her eyes. Her tears broke my heart, but I knew I had to do this.
The sun was high in the sky and I was packing up the last of my things, making sure to tuck away what little gold I had. I would need it to survive on until I could find a job, which might take a while considering there was still a general sense of distrust between the pale men and the natives.
I heard the soft flutter of the door flap and when I turned around, I came face to face with the man I should have married. His name was Dakota and he was everything a woman might want in a husband. He was beautiful, tall, strong, and witty and while I could recognize that he was a good man, I wasn’t interested in staying here for the rest of my life. I had a restless spirit and I needed to go where the wind took me.
“You are leaving,” he stated.
I nodded and stood up, picking up the bag that held all of my belongings. “I am.”
“I thought it was a story people were telling. I did not realize you were actually going to leave.”
It was a bit of an awkward moment and I wasn’t sure what to say so I just nodded. Dakota stepped forward and put a hand on my shoulder, his thumb rubbing my arm gently. I was dressed in a fairly simple dress that I had bought from traders a few months before. I could not very well walk into town wearing pelts with feathers in my hair. If I wanted to be a part of their world and learn more about them, I knew I had to try to fit in.
“Those clothes don’t suit you,” he said.
“This is what they wear. I need to look like them,” I countered.
“No matter how much you look like one of them, they’ll never accept you,” he murmured, his brows furrowed. “You can take off your pelts and you can take the feathers from your hair, but you can’t change your skin,” he said, brushing his fingers over my cheek.
I pulled away from him. “I will keep that in mind, Dakota.”
When I pulled away and went toward the door, he reached out and grabbed my wrist. “You will come back. This is your home Dyani and no matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to forget that. This is your home and you belong here.”
“I belong where my spirit takes me. I feel crushed here. You will find another bride,” I said, voice stern and unwavering. I knew exactly why he did not want me to leave. He wanted the wife he was promised.
He released me slowly and I slipped out of the tent, ignoring the way everyone turned to look at me. Despite my pleas for my mother to keep the news quiet, everyone knew where I was going. I was always considered a strange woman and my interest in the pale men was considered unnatural. Everyone though that I would grow out of it. They figured that I would grow up, marry Dakota, and forget my wild dreams of moving into the settlement just South of my peoples’ village. When my interest never faded, people started whispering about how I was a traitor and that I must be possessed. Why else would a beautiful native woman want to live among the ungrateful pale men?
I knew that I was leaving for good; I would not be able to come back. My people would not tolerate what they considered desertion. I kissed my mother goodbye and turned toward the woods where I’d spent most of my childhood.
“Please, child,” my mother whispered. “Please don’t leave us.
This is your home.”
I looked away, unable to handle the sadness in my mother’s eyes.
She had always been so good to me. She was a good woman and if I felt guilty about anything, I felt guilty about leaving her behind. I was her only child and I knew it would break her heart to see me go, but I also knew I had to do this. I had to follow my heart. I leaned in and kissed her cheek softly.
“I’m sorry, mother,” I said softly.
She gripped my hands so tightly her knuckles started to turn white. “Please,” she begged again. “If you leave, they will not let you back! They won’t let you come home.”
I nodded and released her hands. “I know, mother,” I said, starting to pull away.
She covered her mouth with her hand and let out a sob as Dakota wrapped his arms around her and looked at me, shaking his head.
“This is the decision you’ve made,” he said, frowning deeply. “You will have to live with abandoning your mother and your tribe. You’re turning your back on everything and if you walk into those woods, we will no longer accept you as one of us. You will be one of them, and even they won’t accept you! Are you willing to live with that?”
The words cut deep and I looked away but nodded slowly. “Yes.”
His brows furrowed and his frown deepened. “Then leave, traitor.
The words cut deep, but I turned my back to them, tears stinging my eyes. It hurt to leave, but I knew I would regret it my entire life if I didn’t do this. I wasn’t meant to marry Dakota, and I knew that. I wasn’t meant for this life. I took a deep breath and moved towards the tree line, ignoring the eyes that burned into my back as I walked from my village.
The river was flowing quickly thanks to the heavy rains and I could not stop myself from walking past it, glancing into the clear water. Would I find Johnathan again? Could we be reunited? Did he even want to see me again? These were thoughts I tried to ignore, but despite my efforts them came in loud and clear.
I finally continued on, stepping past the tree line on my own for the first time. The bustling town of Billings was just below and as I stared down, I felt a jolt of fear run through me. After a moment, I swallowed down that fear and moved forward.
I could not explain it, but I knew this was my destiny.
Chapt
er Three
It had been a little over a week since I'd left my home behind to come live in the relatively bustling town of Billings. I had little-to-no concept of what a big city was, so compared to my small village, this was a huge step up.
While living here, I'd quickly learned two things. The locals weren't fond of natives (or hiring them for that matter) and women were seen the same way here as they were where I was from. Men looked down on me, and at first I thought it was because I was a native, but when I started to notice they did it to their own women as well, I began to understand.
I had taken up living in a local inn and the bar keep allowed me to keep the room if I agreed to wipe the tables and help around the bar. He did not offer me any financial compensation, however and I knew that I couldn’t do that much longer. I needed to make money if I was going to survive here.
I started asking around, hoping to find local jobs, though people would avert their eyes from me and offer noncommittal sounds in response to my questions. I was getting discouraged, but I was trying to do my best to be patient.
One jobless afternoon, I wandered to the center of town, looking up at the fairly large church that towered above any other building in the city. I never had the heart to tell my mother, but ever since Johnathan had taken the time to tell me about God, I’d been faithful to the white man’s beliefs. I knew it would have broken her heart to know that her daughter was ‘betraying’ her culture and customs.
I sighed as I stepped inside the church, falling into a nearby pew. There was no one else around, and I sat quietly with my thoughts.
When my eyes wandered upward they landed on a beautiful, hand carved crucifix. My heart fluttered in my chest and I dropped my head and folded my hands together. My crystal blue eyes were squeezed closed and I prayed. I’d prayed every night I’d been here, but now I found myself praying harder than before. I did not want to go back to my village. I did not want to admit that I’d been wrong and I did not want to marry Dakota. This was where I wanted to be. I knew that more than anything.
