Frozen Soul

Introduction: Kin-Ea-kis

Kananaskis River, Treaty 7 Lands, Kananaskis, Alberta/ February 11 1871

       The sound of the Eagle River rushing beneath the thawing ice, and the sizzling of burning tobacco in my pipe fills my soul with peace. For many moons Wawetseka has been my beloved fiancé. Chief Elder Weeping Wolf has arranged for us to be married, albeit against the wishes of her admirer Kitchi Askook- a Métis trapper working for HBC.
      "If you marry my squaw, I'll have my brothers from Fort Saskatchewan see you scalped and drug behind a horse to be paraded through the streets of the Fort, foul savage," Kitchi had growled to me at last summer's sweat lodge.
     Normally I would take such threats seriously and bring it up to our Chief Elder; but I've known Kitchi for a long time, before he was given his name of honor, and went by Kootenai Brown- the identity of a pale faced bastard from Ireland. Besides, today he is meeting with me, wishing for me to be his guide for a supposed moose hunt. After negotiating with him to share the payment we would receive from the trading post about a month's journey up north in Fort Edmonton, I was much obliged. Strangely, despite his displeasure in my arranged marriage with Wawetseka, he has been surprisingly cordial with me.
      I nearly shoot an arrow at Kitchi when I hear snapping tree branches and footsteps crunching in the deep snow behind me. He is fully wrapped up in thick bearhide and Buffalo hide trousers. Kitchi pulls off his hood and fur cap and holds his hands up defensively with a look of shock.
      "Woah woah! Easy there Tonto," he cries. "Don't shoot. Its me, Kitchi."
      "Oly' fuck tuguy," I gasp in realization. "I bout damn near shot you. Thought you were a sasquatch for a moment there, I nearly killed your stupid hide." I lower my bow and place the arrow back in my quiver. Kitchi continues to approach me, eyeing me cautiously.
      "Quick, go fetch some water from the river before we set out," Kitchi says. He hands me a canteen, I set down my weapons and proceed towards the riverbank. Before I reach the river I hear Kitchi approach me from behind. He's probably filling up his water as well.
       Suddenly I feel a blinding sharp pain in my head. My ears start to ring loudly, my vision goes a blurry red, and I feel this intense and uncomfortable buzzing sensation that's like getting struck by lightning. I  somehow manage to get back up on my feet and turn to face Kitchi. To my horror, he has a blood soaked hatchet in hand and a flintlock pistol in the other. His innocent demeanor is replaced with a sinister blank look.
      "You fool. I'm the fucken boss around these parts," he snarls. "Not you wretched redskins. You steal my wife, I take your life. Consider this collateral damage. Sleep easy, kid." He raises his flintlock up to my head and I close my eyes, struggling to accept my fate. Then for some strange reason, he lowers his sidearm and shoots me in the knee. At that Kitchi turns tail and slips away into the forest, not even once looking back at me.
     Little did I know that I would survive this ordeal, and wake up in the cree village of Alexander. And little do I remember my own name. The warriors around here are calling me by the name Swift Runner....