(GG) Chapter 16

The Indian camp came into sight shortly before sunset. Nick looked at all the tepees that were set up not to far away from a large stream. She could make out movement, as the people went around the daily business. One woman was cleaning a skin, and another was cooking over an open fire. There were four men pointing at them, and then talking amongst themselves. Once they caught attention of others, many more people joined them as they approached.

Tate stopped in front of them, and a herd of small children came running out to his horse, screaming, "Evâsova!"

He smiled at them and pat each of their heads, before looking up at the woman approaching them. She was an older woman, the gray hairs told everyone that. But her face was relatively young and her body still slim. Holding out her arms, Tate and her embraced for a moment. He then spoke to her in another language, while pointing at Rock.

She nodded, and waved Andy over to her. He dismounted and lead the horse in front of her, so that she could see his wounds. The woman kneeled down at looked Rock over, standing up she gave a nod to Tate, and took Rock's horse's reigns. Walking off, Nick dismounted and looked at Tate, waiting to hear what was happening.

"That was my mother." He told her, pulling the saddle off his horse. "She'll take care of him."

Nick watched the woman drag Rock to another tepee and then open the flap, and step in leaving the horse and Rock outside. Soon after an older man stepped out with her, and looked him over. He waved some younger men to him, and they untied Rock and brought him inside the tepee.

Nick pulled off her horse's saddle, when she saw Andy doing the same. Tate's mother soon appeared again, and hugged him once more.

"This is Nick and Andy." He said and pointed at them when he said their name.

"Hello." She smiled, "I am Makeeta's mother, Toohe'e."

Nick nodded, as she dropped her saddle to the ground.

"Nice to m-meet you, ma'am." Andy responded.

She asked Tate something in her language, and he gave a nod. Toohe'e smiled at them, and walked away.

"She's going to find us places to sleep."

"I can sleep outside." Nick said.

He shook his head, "No, I'm sure one of the women will share their tepee with you."

"What did those ch-children call you?" Andy asked.

"Evâsova, it means butcher." Tate said with a frown, and took his horse's bit out.

"Your mother called you Makeeta, though." Nick said.

Tate nodded, "It means little man. As a child that was my name, when I was older I received a new name. My mother hates it and refuses to call me by it." He cleared his throat. "Let the horse run free with the others." He said, and pointed ahead of him.

Nick looked and could see an entire herd of horses, grazing together and drinking from the stream.

"He'll be fine." Tate told her, as the elder man that had taken Rock walked up.

Nick took Goliath's bit out, and started to rub his neck and back. The elder man began talking to Tate, who continually nodded at him. When he walked away, Tate smiled at Nick.

"He says that Rock should be fine if he wakes up in the next couple of days. He will chant all through the night to ensure his survival."

"He'll what?" Nick stopped stroking Goliath.

"It's like praying."

Toohe'e returned, "I have found a place for you each to sleep. I will show you after you eat. Come, we had a good hunt today."

Nick looked at her plain beige dress, it seemed to be made of leather. The sides were sown together with large strings of leather as well. On it were beads that had been sown in, with what Nick could only assume to be more leather.

Toohe'e walked over to Nick's shirt, "Your clothes are torn." She said touching the shoulder of her shirt. "I have some string to tie it up, hand me the shirt."

Nick looked over at Tate, and he told his mother something.

"Yes, forgive me, I forget that you people are ashamed of your own bodies." She thought for a moment, "I believe I have something for you to wear." Looking Nick over she began to walk away and then stopped to wave her to her, "Come."

Nick looked at Tate, who stood aside for her to past. She glared at him as she past and walked towards Toohe'e, who put her arm around her when she got close enough.

---***---

Nick found herself in an dress similar to Toohe'e's, she wouldn't even begin fixing her shirt until the next day. She was soon around a small fire with her friends, who chuckled at her when she first sat down. Tate offered her some meat that had just finished cooking, and she accepted it with a look of annoyance.

Looking around the fire, they were joined by two younger women, and Tate's mother. The two women kept speaking to Tate in a language Nick didn't understand. There gestures of pushing their hair behind their ears, among others told her that they were flirting with him. Either Tate was pretending he didn't care about their advances or he really didn't, he never even looked at him. Just continued to pick away at his slice of meat, and respond to what they were saying.

"She's pretty." Toohe'e said in her language so that Nick couldn't understand.

Tate's eyes shot up, "Who?"

"The white woman."

He stared at his mother for a moment, and the two girls that had been talking to him fell silent. They looked down at their food, and began to eat while Toohe'e spoke.

"I suppose, she is." Tate finally responded.

She smiled, "I bet she knows when to give in and knows when to fight you too. That's just the kind of women you need."
"Mother, trust me when I say that she does not want anything to do with a dirty murderer like me."

Toohe'e looked over at Nick, she was sitting next to Tate. There were open spots next to her other friend Andy, who was calmly eating his food across the fire from her son. "From where she is sitting, I would think otherwise." She said, and stood up walking over to her tepee.

Tate looked over at Nick, who was picking apart her chunk of meat. "She just feels safe there, mother!" He hollered.

Toohe'e opened the flap of her tepee and smiled, "I know." She stepped in and the flap fell closed behind her.

Nick looked up when Tate had yelled something at his mother, "Where am I sleeping?"

"With those girls." Tate said and pointed at the two girls that had been talking to him before.

Nick looked at them, and they smiled.

A shadow came over them, and Nick looked up at a tall dark man standing over them. He had a scowl on his face, and Tate stood up to scowl back at him. The man was at least six inches taller then Tate, and Nick was worried they would fight. Suddenly they embraced and began to speak to each other, Nick looked over at Andy. She was sure he felt as left out as she did.

"What are you doing back here?" Nahkohe asked Tate. "Thought you were leaving and never coming back."

"I ran into some trouble, and had to pay back this girl. Besides she's going to Redrock, and I have unfinished business there."

"Why did you have to help her?" He rose an eyebrow.

Tate shrugged, "She got me out of jail."

"Evâsova, you promised mother that you wouldn't kill anymore." He folded his arms, and his long hair fell over them.

"I know, I know. Don't tell her, otherwise she'll never let us leave." He took off his hat, and ran his hands through his hair.

"This will be the last time, I promise."

Nahkohe nodded, "I won't tell her, but if you break this promise to me, I'll be the death of you."

Tate smiled, "I know." He looked around, "Where is Hiamovi, I haven't seen him yet?"

"You don't want to run into my father, Evâsova. He didn't like you coming through here a couple months ago, he will not like that you returned."

Hiamovi was his mother's husband, and Nahkohe' father. Even as a young boy after Tate's father died Hiamovi didn't like him and treated him poorly. He only allowed his mother to greave for a couple weeks, and then forced her into marriage. Tate couldn't take much more then a few weeks of him as his new father, and then left his sister Ayita with his now pregnant mother. She gave birth to Nahkohe when Tate felt it was time to return, and he held him in his arms. Even though he wasn't his full brother, he still loved him the same.

Nahkohe was only seventeen but was already taller then all the men in the tribe, that was how he got his name of "bear". He was strong and powerful, and even though he was younger Tate respected him. He treated everyone equally white or Indian, it didn't really matter much to him.

"Pretty white woman." he said, and smiled at Tate.

"Mother already tried that. I assume I am sleeping with you tonight."

He gave a nod, "You and the white man."

"Think we are all ready to go to bed." Tate turned to the women, "Show her where to sleep." He ordered them and they stood up, changing to English he told Nick, "They will take you to their tepee, come on Andy you are with us."

Both Nick and Andy stood up, and before Nick could wipe the dirt from her back side. The girls grabbed her arms and ran her away from the fire.

Tate laughed, and his brother soon joined in. "Come on, Andy, we need to get some sleep." He said and put his arm around Andy's shoulder. It caught him off guard, but Andy allowed it to remain there as they walked into the darkness in search of Nahkohe' tepee.

---***---

It had to be the other girls sleeping in the tepee with her, but Nick couldn't fall asleep. She laid there for what seemed like hours, waiting for sleep to finally call to her. And it seemed as soon as her eyes were shut the girls shook her awake. The tall slender one walked over to the flap, while the shorter one tried to help her up. She didn't need help getting off the ground, but this women seemed to think so.

Stepping out of the tepee, she was greeted by curious faces of several men and women. A few children were chasing each other around the tepees, and laughing as loud as possible. It reminded her of the days when her and Avery use to chase each other around the church yard. She smiled as she watched them, and then heard the shorter woman say something into her ear.

"I don't understand." Nick told her.

The woman pointed at the children and then at her large smile.

Nick nodded, "Yes, children make me smile."

She patted her arm, and pulled her towards the open fire where they were cooking breakfast. Tate and Andy were already up, and from the looks of it Andy slept as well as she did. He had dark circles around his eyes. He didn't even notice her approaching as he stared vacantly into the flames.

Toohe'e was sitting next to her son, and smiled when Nick approached. "Good morning, did you sleep well?" She asked.

"Fine." Nick responded, and sat down next to Andy, even though there was an open spot near Tate.

Toohe'e looked at her son, who shrugged his shoulders at her. In the language of her people she began to speak to him, "I guess I was wrong."

"I told you, mother."

She smiled, "I still say there is hope." Her eyes went to Nick, and she returned to English, "Did Chimalis and Yahto treat you well?"

"Who?" Nick asked, as Andy handed her half of his meal, it looked like crushed corn.

"The two girls that you shared a tepee with."

"Yes, just fine." Nick nodded, and looked over at the two girls who had now taken the spots next to Tate.

"Is my friend alright?" Nick asked after trying the food, it had a sweet bread-like taste to it.

"Oh yes, he woke up during the night. He is still very weak and very sore." Toohe'e told her.

Tate added, "We are all injured, so we should just rest here for a while until Rock if ready."

"You are all injured?" Toohe'e asked him, a little surprised.

"I was shot in the arm, Andy was shot in the stomach, and Nick had two different men get her in the head."

Toohe'e looked over at Nick, "How?"

"One hit me with the handle of his pistol, and one tried to shoot me." Nick showed her the large scab above her temple.

"I wondered what that was." She looked into the fire for a moment, "Makeeta, why are you back here?" She asked in English.

Nick and Andy looked up at Tate not understanding why she would ask that.

"We are heading up to Redrock, and along the way we got hurt. We couldn't risk going to a doctor…"

"No, Makeeta, why are you back here?"

Tate looked down at his feet, "It's just one more time, mother. I swear and…"

Toohe'e threw herself upward, "You promised me, Makeeta, you promised me!" Her words were in her own language, she then switched to English so that the others of her tribe wouldn't understand what she was saying. "You and your sister are all I have left of him! You've been lucky, Makeeta, very lucky, but this last time could be the end!"

"Mother, calm down." Tate said and took his mother's hand, and tried to pull her back down to sit.

"No! I will not calm down! Don't you understand that you two are all I have? He meant everything to me, and then he was taken from me. If it hadn't been for you and your sister, I would of died. And now…" She began to cry, "And now, look at what you two have become a murderer and a whore!" She snapped, and ran to her tepee.

Tate looked over at Nick, and then dropped his eyes to the ground.

"What's going on, Tate?" Nick asked.

He said nothing, just continued to eat and stare at the ground.

"Tate, it would be best if you told me what is going on."

His eyes shot up and he stared at Nick for a moment, "I promised my mother I wouldn't take any more jobs, and that I would go to California and never coming back."

"Why didn't you tell me that, when I offered…"

Tate stood up, "Because it's was my decision, and neither you nor her…" He pointed to his mother's tepee, "can control what I think or do!" He gave his foot one good stomp and went stormed off in the opposite direction of his mother.

Nick looked over at Andy, who shrugged at her. The two other girls acted as if this was normal, and continued to eat without any worry or upward glances.

---***---

After breakfast, Nick and Andy went to search out the tepee they had last seen Rock disappear into. The camp was rather large, and though they found the spot they entered from, they couldn't remember which tepee. Both stood silently, where they did the night before, and looked down the path where Toohe'e had lead their friend's house. There were so many tepees, all with different paintings framing them. Neither Nick nor Andy could remember any of the paintings that had been the elder man's tepee. Andy sighed and crossed his arms, while Nick played with her fingers nervously.

"I don't know." Nick finally said.

"Well, we c-could try them all. We kn-know it's one of th-these." Andy said, and looked over at Nick.

"Considering we can't tell them what we are looking for, I don't think that would be a good idea." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a large form approaching.

She turned her head to see Nahkohe, Tate's brother, walking towards them. He smiled when he stopped in front of her.
"Looking for your friend?" He said in English.

Nick looked up at him and nodded.

"Come, I'll show you to Heammawihio's tepee." He turned around and started walking towards the set of tepees they were staring at.

Nick looked over at Andy, and he at her. Giving a shrug they both followed behind him, until he came to a stop. Nahkohe opened the flap, and said something to the man inside, who came out and stepped aside letting them in.

Rock was laying on some furs, and his head's wounds had some kind of medication on them, it looked like crushed leaves among other ingredients that made it's texture similar to mud. He smiled as they entered, "Finally, I haven't been able to tell what that guy has been saying to me all day. Where the hell have you two been?"

Nick an Andy chuckled, as they kneeled down beside him.

"Sorry, Rock, we were sleeping." Nick answered.

"Where are we?" He questioned as the elder man sat down across from them.

"Tate brought us here, this is his mother's tribe." Nick said, and Rock looked over at the elder man as he sat down, and then back at Nick.

"So he is a half breed?" Rock chuckled, "I knew it."

"Well, this half probably saved your life, so I wouldn't say anything disrespectful." Nick brushed back some of her hair. They had taken her pants, hat, shirt, and even her boots. All she had was the dress, it was beginning to get uncomfortable, and she was cold in it.

"What are you wearing, Nicolette?" Rock asked.

She laughed, "They are fixing and washing my clothes, and they gave me this to wear until they are finished."

"Where is Tate?"

Nick laughed, "You are all questions, aren't you?"

"Last thing I remember was a big fist coming at my face." He yelled, and then looked away seeming to be ashamed, he began to mumble. "He wouldn't of been so tough if I wasn't tied up!"

"Don't worry about it, Rock. You are still a big, strong man, who can handle his own." She said and patted his chest.

Rock looked back and smiled, "You sure know how to build a man's confidence."

Nick laughed.

"So what happen?" He asked looking at Andy.

"Tate had a kn-knife and cut himself out of the r-ropes, and stabbed the m-man who was b-beating on you." Andy informed him, "Then he sh-shot them, except for the g-guy who dragged Nick out…"

"Oh, Nick are you alright?" Rock asked.

She nodded and smiled, "I'm fine, he didn't do anything."

Andy continued, "Tate was a-about to let him go, but Nick sh-shot him."

"Good job, Nick." Rock patted her hand.

She pulled back her hair to show her scab, "He nearly shot me in the head, I was very lucky it was dark out there."

Rock looked at Andy, "And what did you do through all of this? I see you still have no wounds and clean clothes." He teased.
"I was tied up, there was n-nothing I could do. And h-hey, I took a b-bullet, remember?"

Rock laughed. "So, how'd we end up here?"

"Tate said that the tribe was near by, and that we needed a place to rest and hide. We are all injured, and we need to heal up." Nick told him, and then stood up as far as the tepee would allow. "We are going to head out now, we'll be back to visit you. Get better, alright?"

He nodded, "Come back today, it's really dull in here when you have no idea what the other person is saying."

They both laughed as they stepped out of the tepee. Nahkohe was waiting for them, he smiled, "All done?"

Nick nodded, "Yes, thank you for showing us."

"Anytime, my name is Nahkohe, I don't believe we were properly introduced."

Nick smiled, "I am Nick and this is Andy. Your English is very good."

Nahkohe grinned, "Thank you, Evâsova taught me and so did Toohe'e, my mother."

She looked around, "Is there anything we can do to help out? I don't want to feel like we are just taking and not giving back."

He grinned, "I'm sure we could find you two something to do. Anything you are particularly good at?"

"Andy is great with horses, if you need any that needs work or is sick, he can help you there." She pointed at Andy with her thumb.

"We have a few horses with some problems, if you don't mind looking at them."

Andy nodded, "Sure."

"And what about you, Nick, what can you do?"

She shrugged, "Anything I want."

Nahkohe laughed, "That's a good spirit you have. I am sure the women would like some help, I'll see if I can find one that can speak English. You both come with me." He turned and began to walk away, and once again Nick and Andy found themselves following behind him.

---***---

It wasn't long before Nick found herself at the stream's edge. She was helping the women wash various blankets that she assumed they had traded for. They weren't of Indian make and looked more like quilts that would be on a bed. Although, in the recent cold winters, it wouldn't of been a surprised if they needed more warmth. Chimalis and Yahto kept close to her, but it was Ketaa'e was the one who had befriended her. She was put in charge by Nahkohe to help her find her way around the village, and do the chores properly.

Nick thought she was beautiful, long black hair that fell to her knees, and light brown eyes with dark brown encircling them. She seemed to always have a smile on her face, her English was just as good as Nick's. No doubt a product of Tate and his mother's teaching.

"Then you beat it against the rock." Ketaa'e told her.

"Why?" Nick said holding up the wet blanket.

"It helps clean it." She said with a smile.

Nahkohe walked over to them, he was standing across from the stream. Ketaa'e smiled and waved, brushing the hair behind her ears. He paid no attention to her, and only focused his eyes on Nick.

"How is everything, Nick?" He asked.

Nick looked from Ketaa'e to him, "Just fine, Ketaa'e is teaching me how to wash blankets."

He nodded, "Your friend decided to check all the horses, I told him it would take him weeks, but he seems to be going through them rather quickly."

Nick laughed, "He knows horses."

Nahkohe smiled, "Your injured friend is sitting up now, Heammawihio thinks he'll be able to walk around by tomorrow. He's lucky."

She nodded, "Very, he took an awful beating."

He didn't say anything just turned around and walked away from them.

Ketaa'e grinned, and Nick noticed the red in her cheeks.

"He embarrasses you?" She asked.

Ketaa'e giggled, "He makes me very nervous. I've been like this since we were children."

"Does he know?" Nick asked and slapped the blanket on the rock, water splashed everywhere.

"Twist the water out first." She laughed, then wiped the water from her face. "Yes, he knows, but his father is the chieftain, and he doesn't like me."

"And why not?" Nick twisted the blanket and then dunked it back into the water, pulling it out she twisted it again.

Ketaa'e swallowed, "Because of Evâsova."

"Tate?"

She nodded, "He and I were together once. I didn't know him very well when we were children, I am after all much younger then him."

"You are Nahkohe's age?" She didn't say his name right, but Ketaa'e didn't feel the need to correct her.

She nodded, "It was last year, I was sixteen. Evâsova didn't know how young I was, but I had seen him many times. I knew he was Toohe'e's son, but he left long before I was born."

"But he came back sometimes?"

"Yes, and I always stayed away. He was dangerous. and my father told me that Evâsova would kill me if I got in his way. But the winter before my father died, and I don't know what came over me, but I wanted to talk to him. Nahkohe always spoke to him, and I wanted to know the man I was so scared of."

Nick smiled, as both women just held their blankets under water.

"He was charming and smart. He spoke to me all night long about his life and all the adventure he had."

"Charming and smart, are you sure we are talking about the same man?"

Ketaa'e laughed, "He feels more secure here, he acts different in the white man's land. He told me that once." She took a moment to sigh, "I can't really tell you how it happened, but I let him touch me. When I woke up the next morning, I wasn't sorry. I was proud, but then Hiamovi walked into the tepee, yelling at him to get out." She swallowed and looked into the stream, "He beat me, and Evâsova fought him back. After he left, Hiamovi told me that I could never be with Nahkohe."

Nick looked into the stream at the little pebbles that had accumulated at the bottom. "I'm sorry, Ketaa'e. We should all be able to be with the one's we love. Does he love you back?"

She looked at where Nahkohe had been standing, "In his own way. He hasn't spoken one word to me since that day. Even when he wanted me to help you, he sent Yahto to ask me." She patted Nick's hand, "It was my fault, I allowed it to happen. I should have been killed, but Nahkohe took pity on me since I was not yet bonded to him."

"The way Tate and Nahkohe act towards each other, you would of never known this occurred."

Ketaa'e grinned, "Evâsova didn't know that I was to be one with his brother, otherwise he would of never touched me. That is why Nahkohe forgave him."

"If you knew then what you know now, would you of done it again?"

She smiled, "Every time."

"Why?"

"Because Nahkohe said he loved me, and I am sure he did. Just not in the way that I wanted him to. He was being forced to take me, and though he tried to find feelings for me, you can't force them. He prefers white women." She grinned and looked over at Nick, "Like you."

Nick's jaw nearly dropped, "That's not funny, Ketaa'e."

"It the truth. He has never taken a woman into his tepee, not one woman. When the traders come by he'll flirt with their daughters, but he ignores all of us."

"Then why hold such a grudge against you?" Nick pulled the blanket from the water and twisted the water from it.

"The women say I broke his heart, and that he is incapable of loving another. The men say that I ruined him for all the Indian women, making him believe that we are all as terrible as I am."

Nick stopped beating her blanket and looked over at Ketaa'e, "You aren't terrible, you made a mistake. We've all done things we aren't proud of, but we learn and move on."

"Perhaps in your world, but here people will never forget your mistakes. I will live out the rest of my life as the woman who broke the young chief's heart." Ketaa'e returned to washing her blanket, "I don't want to talk about this anymore. We can finish washing these blankets, and then go clean some skins. The men should be back from hunting very soon."

Nick gave a nod and returned to washing her blanket. When she was done, she laid it out to dry and picked up another. Ketaa'e remained very silent even when the other women spoke to her, she only responded with gestures. Nick understood being stigmatized, after all she was the women in Honeycomb who acted like a man. Everyone wanted to marry her for her riches, but no one wanted her for who she was. They all wanted to change her, and make her into something she wasn't. Ketaa'e's story was different, and looking at her and the way the others looked upon her, she felt a burden on her own heart. She couldn't imagine having to do something so rash to save the man she loved from being with her.