Gold Raven (17 page)

“
Of course not, I came for water, he was here.”

“
Next time, wait for Esteban, or Juan to escort you here. Your carelessness is going to get someone killed. These men are nothing to play with…and when it comes to my family, they know…neither am I. Tread carefully little sister…very carefully.”

The following morning, Santiago and his men left the encampment on their own business. Two days later, her brother and his men left again. It was not known how long Mike and the others would be gone, but it was up to Hector, Juan and Eugene to look after them. Hope faithfully continued practicing her shooting, fencing and knife play. When it came to fencing, Eugene and Mike were the very best in the camp… she was taught well.

At night, she and Maria stayed close with the kids. On occasion Hope would catch her streaming tears; frightened for her husband, driving home within Hope's mind how dangerous what he did was. Always reassuring, Hope would console her. “He’ll be okay, you’ll see.”

“
I hate this life. I hate what my husband must do to survive. I don’t know how much longer I can stand it.” Maria cried. Hope stared, taken by surprise. “I thought, you didn't mind it, what do you mean?”

“
I accept it; because there is no other way, but -…oh, never mind me, I am just talking crazy, pay me no attention.”

Hope dropped it. She knew how much Maria loved Mike, even with all of his faults and domineering personality, she loved him despite it all. Yet the life they led was sure to find its end eventually. How long before someone discovered this hide-away? How many more times could he slip away, and return unscathed? So many thoughts passed through her mind as she lay awake deep into the night.

Thoughts that she knew her brother would forbid going through her mind. Thoughts of love…love such as what Mike showed Maria, Anna showed Alfredo and of course, the love that her mother had felt for her father.

Would there ever be a man in her life, despite what her brother had to say about them? A man who would love her, protect her, respect her as a strong capable woman? Not taking for granted her natural feminine weaknesses. Idly she laid on her side on the mattress she and Lolita shared in the room with Maria and Celina, who slept together. The boys were in the other room sleeping on their own mattress. She could not sleep, and so stared up and out of the small window that gave a heavenly view of the stars and half moon. She tested the medallion with her teeth as she had a habit of doing when lying wide awake. Taking its presence for granted, she had always worn it…and had no recollection of where it came from or who gave it to her.

She suddenly became curious
about it, and pulled it from her mouth to look at it. It was like a permanent part of her. She began turning it over giving it closer inspection under the dim light of the moon streaming in through the window, wondering at the significance of it. She remembered there being a picture of a black bird, but it had long since worn off; it was just copper, tarnished from time. It had been halved leaving a jagged edge.
‘Now why would someone give me half of a medallion? And where – is the other half?’
She thought feeling the jagged edge
. ‘Was it you mother…a gift? Or perhaps you father?’
She did not think so. The more she pondered, the deeper her mind worked. Neither Anna nor Alfredo gave it to her, because she remembered having it then.

Vague and cloudy, suddenly an image of a small child and an older boy came to her. She smiled at the sudden thought of him.
‘Is it a dream that is vague, and foggy within my mind? Are you a dream…little dark boy? Who are you? Are you real? Or part of my imagination? Are you the one? Did you give this to me?’
She wondered as she stroked it. She yawned; sleep was finally coming to her. “Oh well.” She muttered on another yawn, turning on her side to get cozy into her sleep position. Her right hand at her chest, she rubbed and caressed the worn smooth half medallion as a child would suck its thumb. It was her security blanket… always had been. She smiled as she became dreamy; the thought that lingered began to fade as she fell deeper into sleep.
‘Where…where is the other half? Where?’

* * *

“
Where is the other half?” He heard himself ask silently in the night. “Where is she? Is it still with her? As her half is with me?” Red Crow lay beneath the stars upon his blanket, his body fatigued from the work of building that he and his men were doing. He knew that to be the reason he should be sleeping now, for the heavy workload that demanded a great deal from him physically. His hope was that they were finally where they could remain, this new place very close to the area the white man had chartered out for them. As his grandfather had foretold, the influx of the Europeans were doing what he dreaded, taking land from his people at every turn. Not just any land, but land which was lush, rich and thriving.

While away at a private academy for boys, and then college, he learned that the treaties were still nothing more than a temporary whim for the governing whites while feeling charitable. The moment the need arose to expand, they would, and a new promise would be given - to later be broken. Their record spoke for itself, all eastern Indians ordered off their lands, forced west, out of the new settlers' way.

Upon returning home from school, Red Crow was given money from his grandfather as promised for completing school with honors. Any who saw him now, would be hard pressed to believe he held within his possession a law degree from Harvard. He had studied long and hard to complete his education because he knew how important that money was to his people. As their chief, even though he consulted with the elders among them, it was his duty to care for them; leading them to a land where
he prayed to his mother’s Christian God, as well his father’s that they could settle and stay.

Above all else, he must pick up where his father had left off, in that he was determined not to neglect them or their needs. Now, with his promise complete, before the long haul west, he went to his grandfather Jordan, and through him, he was able to purchase many heads of cattle, a couple of bulls, horses, plenty of feed, grain and seed to start the chore of growing their own crops as soon as they settled in what would be their new home; a spot he’d ridden out years previously to find.

His grandfather had foretold of the great suffering and dying that would result from the Cherokee’s forced move during one of nature’s harshest seasons to a territory that would be dead and without resources for their survival. He knew that it was up to him to make preparation for those who followed him so they would be spared the torture, degradation, disease, hunger and death at the hands of the whites.

Many of his people would suffer, mainly those who chose long ago to stay in Georgia and fight. As for those who followed his father, listening to his direction, they would be set up in the new territory. It was in their hearts that those who survived and made it there would find an end to their suffering once they were gathered into the bosom of those already in place. Many accepted that there would be some who would be resentful and reject their assistance. After all, many of the tribe accused his father and those like him of running, instead of standing and fighting. It had taken everything in his father to ignore them all and lead the men, women and children who followed – to safety.

His father once told him,
“The decision to stand and fight is fine, but only if you are the only one to suffer at such a choice. Never my son should those who follow and trust in you, suffer because of your possible wrong decision. There is no pride left to a man who turns from a fight still standing, to see those who backed him, fallen in his tracks. Upon that discovery, he must stand with their blood on his hands and in his conscience, no truer hell than that could one live.”

Yet, still vivid in his mind, was his father’s decision to finally fight, only to end up in the very fight that brought his life to an end. His mother had suffered, he had suffered – his father had not been the only one to suffer. Red Crow – Joseph Avery O’Brien sighed; war.

It seemed there was no such thing as the right time to fight! He realized that no matter when one chose to engage into warfare, there w
ould always be suffering for the innocent to bear…always.

He thought back to the day he accomplished his venture in the white man’s world of formal education. At the completion of the awards ceremony, where he was presented with degrees for his achievements, he approached his waiting mother, sister and grandparents. Jordan Lee ignored the whispers and stares from those around him to embrace his grandson proudly.

“
I have fulfilled my father’s wishes and my promise to you grandfather. My people need me now; there is much I need ask as a favor from you.”

Jordan Lee O’Brien nodded, willing to assist his grandson in any way that he could. Immediately upon their arrival back to Mississippi, Joseph removed the garb acceptable in the world of his grandfather, and changed into what he was most comfortable in. Taking a mount that had always been his, he headed out, needing to break free from the confines of being an O’Brien.

He needed to be Red Crow, he needed to fly and feel the wind fast on his face as he took off to explore, to charter a place for his people.

It was by accident, that he found such a wondrous place for his people to reside. For days he had ridden when suddenly he found himself in the midst of a storm. Stumbling into a cave for shelter from the downpour, high up in a rocky mountainous crag above a flat valley floor, he sat to wait out the storm.

For the duration of it, which seemed would never end, he began exploring deep within the cave. Discovering a few tunnels, he made his choice and turned off into one. Forgetting the torrential rain pouring down outside, he continued until he realized he was walking in a flowing stream within the cave. Standing ankle deep, he thought he better turn back, when suddenly he heard a rupture of rocks, a bursting forth of water that sounded as if it was gushing straight for him. Then all of a sudden a torrent of flood water swept him off his feet and carried him with such a force, he was slammed here and there against the cave walls. There was no way for him to catch hold of anything with such speed and power carrying him off to a destination that would be determined by the currents. He learned quickly not to shout, having swallowed water in his attempt – choking him as he held onto every precious breath he managed to draw between constantly being pulled beneath the raging flow. Suddenly he was spit out the side of a cliff, falling within a water fall to be plunged into an icy pool that was swelling from the storm. Lightning flashing over head, he broke the surface of the water sputtering and gasping. With the rain pouring down with heavy pellets dancing like gunshots across the surface of the water, he began swimming to the embankment.

Climbing onto land, he ran towards a heavy wooded area,
choosing a tree broad enough to offer cover; there he parked himself beneath in an attempt to shield himself from the tempest. Too tired to worry over the threat of being struck by lightning or being crushed by a falling tree, he stayed put.

Hours later, he found himself waking with his face too close to the webbed home of a rather large spider. Giving respect to the small creature’s dwelling, Red Crow rolled quickly away. Standing he made his way out of the shadows offered by the dense woods. Upon reaching a clearing, he shielded his eyes from the blazing rays of the bright sun; placing his back to the sun, he was astonished at the beauty around him. As far as the eye could see, there were acres upon acres of green lush pastures. The area was flanked on one side by the dense woods, and the other by the lake and mountainside he’d been ejected from.

Sodden and muddy, he walked on with his mind pondering the nature that surrounded him, that seemed to whisper …peace…security – home … home for his people.

Wild life and wild flowers were abundant as he walked through the valley that was on Utopian scale of magnificence, lending itself to the vision of the bible’s serene paradise garden of Eden, hidden so it seemed, behind the closed mountainside. To his surprise, he heard the sound of galloping hooves, and turned to see his horse riding towards him.

“
How did you find me? How did you get in?” He asked the animal in a voice filled with cheer, as if an answer would be given. “Oh well, come, let us explore this new place, shall we?” He laughed and leapt onto its back. Riding as far as his curiosity led him, he stayed there so long he was reluctant to leave it. Leaving meant going to take up the responsibility that was now his. They were waiting…it was time for him to do what he had been set up to do.

Problem was, once he was ready to leave, it took him some considerable time to find his way out. It wasn’t so much finding his way out that presented him with his biggest problem, but how would he get his people back in? His horse was the key to getting out of the newfound paradise. Red Crow retraced the animals hoof prints back to where it had found its way in through a winding narrow gap in the side of the mountain. His plan now was to return with his people and make secure the entry to keep the location hidden.

On arriving back at his grandfather’s he rounded up the supplies and livestock and gathered his people together. They journeyed to their new home, made the opening entrance safe, and camouflaged it. This mighty project took them many weeks to accomplish.

Once done, they were able to p
ass through with their wagons, cattle, horses, belongings and building materials, going on two and half years since they had made the hidden retreat their home, Red Crow could now set his thinking in other directions.

He turned over and looked at his sleeping mother and baby sister he called “Butterfly”. Her real name was Cesalia, named after his mother’s closest and dearest friend, Ceś alena.

He turned back to stare at the stars, his stomach aching at the thought of her, at the thought of her daughter…his destiny, his Gold Raven. Their loss hovered over them...haunting them. His mother still blamed herself for their disappearance.

He remembered his part in not making it any easier for her.

He could still remember his mother coming to visit him at school and telling him that they had vanished and were nowhere to be found. How he had raged and stormed at her. Yelling that she should have done what he begged her to do long ago. Had she done so, maybe they would still be with them. He had pleaded with his mother to buy Ceś alena and Hope from the man, Maynard Webster, so that she could bring them to live in Connecticut while he attended school. There, they would have been able to live freely, with little fear from those who would harm them. There, his grandfather owned a grand home – where he’d stayed while he’d completed law school. He was unable to stay among the white students in the dormitory because of constant harassment.

He so badly wanted them there with him, where Hope could grow up and come to know him, and reconcile herself to being his wife one day. Had that been done, both of them, Gold Raven and her mother Amber Swann would have been out of harms way. His mother tried to explain to him, that Lena was where she wished to be. That the man Maynard Webster would take care of his Gold Raven and her mother.

He remembered her next visit had been to tell him of the tragic events which had unfolded, causing him to release his rage upon her…when she was already suffering with feelings of guilt and sorrow. She believed that had she forced Lena to stay with her and wait out Manny’s return, they would have been safe.

He sighed, that was long passed now. Again he clutched his half of the medallion thinking,
‘Where are you? Gold Raven…where? Soon now, you will be seventeen summers.’
With a deep breath, grinding his teeth in the darkness he muttered towards the heavens, to the Gods above.

“
You promised her to me! You promised to keep her safe and as she was when I thanked you for her, accepting her as my fate!”