Neophyte

Wonder

The morning hit, and the sky and weather were calm. Metztli sat in the wooden cart, gazing out at the surroundings. It was nothing but barren land. However, she and others passed a couple of ranchos and small towns. They even passed another small tribe that was close to the Mission. Metztli was amazed at how the city of San Gabriel looked in the late 1700s. Her textbooks only showed her certain pictures of the 1800s, but seeing everything in person made her excited, even though the land was barren and uninviting. 

Esteban was on the side of the wooden cart, while his men were at each corner, protecting the group. During the travel, he glanced at Metztli, who looked amazed at everything she saw. It was almost amusing to pass through many barren lands, small towns, and tribal areas. The young man commanded his horse to go close to her side, making Metztli slip out of her thoughts. "Enjoying the scenery?"

The young woman smiled. "Oh, I am! I almost forgot how beautiful nature was. It feels so good to be out of the Mission! I'm also excited to visit Toypurina's tribe!" Metztli was beyond excited; she was going to see how her ancestors lived in the past. "You're lucky that you can go out of the Mission whenever you want."

"Not entirely. We go wherever we are needed. Sometimes we go to places that we may not always want to be in."

Metztli lay her arms and chin on the corner of the wooden cart, amusingly looking at him. "Oh, come on. It can't be all that bad. I mean, you must have been to so many places."

"I have. It would seem that I have been a Soldado for so long that I have taken my adventures for granted."

"Is there a specific place you enjoyed traveling to?"

Esteban was silent, contemplating which place he liked the most. There had been many cities, towns, and ranchos he had been to that were beautiful, but they never stuck with him. Then, there was something he remembered. "The sea."

"The sea? You traveled the sea? How?"

"I am from Seville, Spain, remember? I had to travel through the sea to get here. Though I had to make stops at different islands and countries."

"Oh, right, right. Now, I remember. You came from a family of merchants, and your parents wanted you to become a priest. Though, why the sea? I mean, it's only a vast body of water."

Esteban nodded as he chuckled. "Like everyone, I have always known land and people. I have seen the good and the terrible. Being on land doesn't always mean freedom. My parents wanted to decide my fate until I fought back to choose what I wanted to do. While I was traveling through the sea, I had never felt so free. No laws, no sadness; the sea treats every man equally. It can also lead to many places."

Metztli noticed Esteban's eyes, filled with tranquility, as he spoke about the sea. She always wanted to travel the world, and many people from the past, like Esteban, had a love for travel. She wanted to tell him that she was from the future and that all the great things people could do to travel were possible, but it would be too risky. He could think of her as insane. Still, it brought her a sense of calm hearing Esteban speak. "I couldn't agree more."

Mariana, her children, and Toypurina listened to the conversation. Mariana watched the two and felt amused. "They look adorable together," she whispered to her children.

Valentina rolled her eyes; Guillermo looked on, uncertain. "I don't know, Mama. They are acting friendly."

"Oh, don't tell me you're jealous," Valentina said in an amused voice.

Guillermo stilled, glared at his sister, and roughly whispered, "I-I am not! I am just saying what I see!"

Valentina rolled her eyes again.

Meanwhile, Toypurina looked ahead as she sat quietly next to Manuel, who also sat silently, controlling the reins. She felt Manuel occasionally glancing at her. She didn't want to speak since she enjoyed the quiet. Additionally, the young woman was aware of his interest in her.

"Ya casi llegamos, Toypurina (We're almost there, Toypurina)," said Manuel. Toypurina merely nodded, and Manuel felt a sense of nervousness. "Emocionada (Excited)?"

"Si (Yes)."

Manuel felt his ears getting warm from his nervousness. Toypurina was only giving him short responses, and he believed that she didn't want to speak to him. He believed that she might hate him because he was a Soldado de Cuera. However, Manuel didn't believe in what his fellow Soldados did to the Tongva, but Toypurina believes that he was like them. "Por favor créeme que no soy como ellos (Please believe me that I am not like them)."

Toypurina glanced at him before looking forward. She didn't expect him to tell her that. She always held a distrust toward the Spaniards and all those who worked with them. There were possibilities of good Spaniards, but seeing the suffering of her people because of them made her weary of them. Then, something caught her eye from afar. A small smile crept on her lips; she looked at everyone. "Look, we are getting closer."

Metztli and everyone looked ahead and saw what appeared to be a small village and its inhabitants. There was a large river nearby, where people were visible. "The San Gabriel River," Metztli thought. 

"Metztli, ma ximopanolti in Jachivit Altepetl (Metztli, welcome to the Jachivit Village)."