The Adventures of Cherokee (10 page)

“I have not been kind to you. Why would you help me?” asked the big horse.

“Because that is what we were taught. Life is like an echo. What you send out comes back to you,” said Sunee.

“Where did you learn that?” he asked.

“From our Grandfather and our parents,” explained Cherokee. “They taught us many things while we were growing up.”

“I don’t remember my parents,” said Natas
sadly.

“Let’s rest a while,” suggested Cherokee, “And then move on again.”

In response to that suggestion, Natas dropped to the ground with a grunt, bending first one front leg, then the other and rolling on his side. He dropped his head on the cold earth and closed his eyes.

While he slept, Cherokee and Sunee foraged quietly for dry grass in and around the rocky ground.

-11-
 

And Then There Were Three
Later in the afternoon, Natas woke up and the three horses headed west, into the sunset. As they walked along, they heard the caw of ravens, the bark of a red fox and squirrels chattering high in the trees. They could see what they thought were hills in the distance. How could they know they were only a few miles from a chain of mountains called the Ozarks? All they knew was that the company was good and the food, although not plentiful, was satisfactory.

“Where are we going?” questioned Natas.

“We are following the sun,” answered Sunee.

“Why?” asked the red horse.

“Well,” Cherokee said, “When I was a very small colt, I had a vision. In it I was told that my destiny would be to follow the sun.”

“Why?” asked the red horse again.

“I didn’t question the reason,” explained Cherokee. “I just decided that I should do it.”

“Why now?” wondered their new friend.

“Our family was captured by Man. We saw no other way except to escape and start this journey together,” said Cherokee.

“Humph,” snorted Natas. “Man is mean and cruel.”

“I have not found that to be so,” replied Cherokee. “I have met a small Indian boy and his mother and they were very kind.”

“And how about the ones who captured your family?” asked Natas.

“They were not cruel,” answered Sunee. “We just wanted to be free.”

“Why are you with him?” Natas asked
Sunee.

“Because we have
a uno ligo so,
a friendship,” she explained.

Natas thought about that. “Have you always had
a uno
whatever that is?”

“A
uno ligo so,”
said Sunee. “Yes. Since we were very small. Our mothers were always friends and Cherokee and I have played together all our
lives.”

“Where did you get that scar on your shoulder, Cherokee?” asked Natas.

“From falling in a creek and getting hit by a log when I was young and from slipping on ice in a cave and falling down during a very bad winter,” said Cherokee.

“The marks look like bird feathers,” said
Natas.

“Yes. The feathers of a raven. Raven feathers indicate a time of change and each time I had an accident, my injury left a feather shaped scar on my shoulder. Those accidents represented a change in my life.”

“But there are three,” noticed the stallion.

“I cannot explain the third one. It just appeared. Perhaps when I made my decision to accept my destiny and travel toward the sun one feather split into two.”

For a while there was no talking. Natas began to trot and the others followed him. Sunee wondered why Cherokee allowed Natas to lead, but didn’t question his reasons. Cherokee didn’t give it much thought since the three were together and seemed to be friends. They reached another river. As they began to cross, they discovered it was only shoulder deep and not very wide, although it was cold.

It took them two days to get close enough to the distant mountains to see that they ran from east to west, the same direction as the horses were traveling. Cherokee said, “It is good that we do not have to cross mountains in the winter. I remember ice and snow. There is none of that here.”

“Look, Cherokee,” said Sunee. There are some pine trees to the left of that stream. It looks like a good place to rest for the night.”

“No,” said Natas. “I want to keep going.”

“I think we should stop,” said Cherokee. “We’ve had a long day.”

“No,” shouted Natas. “I say when we stop.”

Cherokee and Sunee looked at each other, but did not speak. Natas galloped on, expecting that they would follow him, not seeming to care whether they did or not. The two young horses moved quickly into a gallop, following behind the red horse. Soon it began to get dark.

“Natas,” called Cherokee. “We must find a resting place where we will be protected from wild animals.”

“Stop if you want to. I’m going on,” said
Natas.

Cherokee and Sunee did stop. They could hardly see the rolling hills and the red and white oak trees on their right. But they moved into what shelter they could find and grazed on some dry grass. Once their bellies were full, they rested, standing up, head to tail. Both wondered why Natas was being so difficult.

“Cherokee,” asked Sunee, “Why do you suppose Natas has such a backward attitude? He doesn’t seem to like people at all and sometimes I wonder if he is
tso tsi da na wa,
our enemy.”

“I don’t know,” answered the young stallion. “He does seem to think more bad thoughts than
good ones. Let’s rest and then go on tomorrow.”

There was no moon and few night sounds. Cherokee missed them. He was more comfortable when he could see by moonlight and hear familiar noises. Although he rested, he did not sleep. Soon his senses became aware of a quiet swish, swish, swish in the dry grass below them. He raised his head and flicked his ears trying to pick up a sound he recognized. Although he watched and listened carefully, he never knew what passed below them that night.

The sun rose bright and warm the next morning. Cherokee led Sunee down to a fast moving stream for a morning drink. They crossed the stream and continued west.

“I wonder where Natas is,” said Sunee.

“Perhaps he has decided to travel on his own,” answered Cherokee, silently hoping that that is what he was doing. He was beginning to doubt the friendship of the red horse.

“He was a little cross, but I liked him,” said Sunee.

“Maybe we will see him again on our journey,” said Cherokee. “Shall we go this way or that?” he asked Sunee.

“Would we be following the sun whichever direction we take?” asked Sunee.

“Yes,” answered the stallion. “If we travel to the left, we will be going away from the mountains, and if we go right, we will be going into them. But they do not look as high as our mountains at home. You choose.” he said generously.

“Let’s go away from the mountains,” said Sunee. “It seems to me to be the right way.”

“Alright.” answered Cherokee. And off they started at a slow trot.

They crossed another river that we know as the Arkansas River. They traveled away from the Ozark Mountains, continuing west and south, once again alone together. Then one day in late January, they saw great rolling hills cloaked in tall hardwood trees in the distance.

The horses trotted up the first incline but struggled to clear a higher ridge. Once atop it, they saw some springs foaming and bubbling below them.

“I think I have a surprise for you,” Cherokee said to Sunee.

“What is that?” she asked.

“Follow me to the water down there and I will show you.”

It was much easier going down than up and it didn’t take them long to make the trip.

Cherokee stepped quickly into the foaming
water.

“Come on in,” invited Cherokee.

As Sunee stepped in slowly and carefully, she gasped in surprise. “The water is warm,” she said.

“Yes.”

“How did you know?” she asked.

“When I was with Father, he showed me some hot springs and told me how good they felt and how they would relax tired muscles. Do you like it?”

“Oh, yes, Cherokee,” she answered. “Can we stay a long time?”

“We can stay,” he said. “Perhaps it would be a good place to rest and regain our strength. We have been traveling a long time.”

“I would like that,” answered the young mare, closing her eyes, feeling the water bubble around her shoulders and belly.

Muscles relaxed, the two young horses played in the water, kicking and rearing on hind legs and altogether enjoying themselves. They threw water at each other with their noses, snorting and sneezing.

Out of breath, Sunee said, “Cherokee, we must get out and get dry before the sun goes down. The air gets quite cool then.”

“Of course,” answered the pinto stallion. And he led the way out of the warm water into the cooler air. Both horses shook themselves, throwing excess water everywhere.

“Hey,” said a small voice. “Just what do you think you are doing?”

Cherokee and Sunee stopped quickly, looking around to see who had spoken to them.

“Up here,” it said.

Looking up, they saw an old spotted owl. His feathers were ruffled and his big round eyes were yellow and piercing. His beak was curved and sharp.

“I do not like being bothered before it’s time to get up,” he said grumpily. “What is it with youngsters these days that they make so much noise?”

“We are sorry we bothered you,” said Sunee. “We have been traveling a long way and we wanted to enjoy the warm water. Now that we are rested, we will graze and rest for the evening. We will try to be more quiet.”

“Well,” said the owl. “Now that I am awake, why don’t you tell me about yourselves?”

“We are from a far distant land,” said Cherokee. “We were born wild to a small herd of horses far east of here. Our mothers were friends and my father was the leader. Grandfather taught us many stories.”

“Grandfather?” asked the owl. “Is he an ancient one many years old? Was his true name Tsalagi?”

“Yes,” answered Cherokee. “He went to his ancestors last fall and we all miss him very much. Did you know him?”

“Indeed I did,” said the owl snapping his beak several times. “He was an excellent story teller. I have even told my grandchildren some of them.”

“Where did you know him? Did you live in the east where we came from? Or did Grandfather come to your land?”

“It was in the east, on the other side of the great river. I was raising my first family when I met him. He was a young and handsome stallion then, strong and brave. He had many mares and colts in his herd. Times were peaceful with fewer people and more land to live and fly around in.”

“Where did you meet him?” asked Sunee.

“In a beautiful hidden valley, with grassy hills on both sides and trees with leafy branches reaching toward the Great Spirit. There was a stream running all the way through it with several places where rocks were piled high enough to create small water falls. Singing birds lived there in peace; small animals found refuge in the quietness. There was plenty of food for everyone. Your Grandfather and I liked it there because the water seemed to talk to us. It bubbled and laughed its way from its entrance at one end of the valley until it ran out other end. Birds and animals alike drank from its waters and there was no fighting or trouble.”

“I’d like to know that place,” said Sunee.

“I don’t know if even I could find it again, and I am considered wise,” he boasted.

“Well, it seems to be a wonderful place to make friends and live,” said Cherokee. “I am glad we met you and can talk about Grandfather again. We miss him.”

The wise old owl blinked his eyes slowly and stared at Sunee. “Do you have any children?” he asked her.

Surprised, she turned her face up to him and said, “I am not experienced in these matters. Why do you ask?”

“You have a gentle face and you look at the world with warm brown eyes. That is the softness of a mother.”

“How will I know if I am to be a mother?” she asked shyly.

“That is all I know about horses,” said the wise old owl. “But find others of your own kind and they will instruct you.”

“Perhaps we should find others who can help us. I would like to ask the advice of other mares.”

“Of course,” said Cherokee promptly. “In the morning when we start out we will keep a watchful eye out for signs of others and join them.”

Turning to the owl, he said, “Thank you for being patient with us and for telling us about Grandfather. Do you know where there are other horses?”

“Some horses passed this way several weeks ago. They were headed in the same direction that you are going.”

“Were they alone, or were there men with them?” asked Cherokee.

“They were alone and wild. It was a small herd guided by a mare, but with no stallion leader that I could see. Perhaps you will be fortunate in joining up with them.”

Encouraged, Cherokee turned to Sunee and said, “Let’s eat our supper and rest for the night. We will start out early in the morning.”

“Yes, Cherokee,” answered Sunee, tired at last and more than ready to do his bidding.

-12-
A New Experience
 

The two horses were walking and browsing on the new spring grass. The sun was especially yellow, the sky especially blue and they were at peace listening to birds singing in the trees on both sides of the canyon. Eventually their journey took them to a cleft rock. They walked out onto a ridge. Looking down, they saw an amazing sight.

There were hundreds of brown, shaggy animals below them. They had great humps on their backs and black horns that curved in toward their little eyes. They were enormous beasts and unafraid of their surroundings.

“Cherokee,” whispered Sunee. “What are those?”

“I’m not sure,” he answered. “But I think those are the animals Grandfather called ‘buffalo’. He said they lived in great herds and were very big and strong.”

“Should we be afraid?” she asked.

“Let’s just watch for a while and see what they do,” answered Cherokee.

So they stood on the ridge far above the great buffalo herd, watching and listening to the sounds of grazing and mooing. After several hours, the buffalo moved forward, like a great river, slow, but steady, looking for water. The two young horses decided to follow them at a safe distance.