The New World

Chapter Sixteen

Secretly, I was sad inside. I had too many questions that couldn't truly be answered. Mother and I used to be so close. We would joke, laugh, smile, hug, and care. But all of that just fell through my fingers like sand. I had no grip on anything. Mother just brushed me off her shoulder and went to her man whore of the day, now just Harold. She lost that sparkle in her eyes. Now they just burned through your soul, your grip on life.

As years went by, I became hallow inside and I wouldn't feel anything. I was numb. I just lived life without purpose. Father dying was the only exciting thing that has happened in my life. But after being capture by the natives, it topped Father's death.

I walked into the tent with the roasted quail wrapped in the cloth with a big grin slapped on my face. Tecumseh looked up from his belt and smirked, "Why so content?"

I walked over and revealed the perfectly cooked quail to my owner.

He smiled in return, "Good job. You're getting better everyday."

I raised an eye brow at him, "This is only the second meal I've made."

He nodded, "It's better than your first meal, yes?"

I sighed, "Yes."

I sat down on the floor and handed him the quail. He split the bird and handed me the legs and wings while he had the body of the quail.

"Lecakie," Tecumseh has been calling me this since I got here. Every time I asked him what it meant, he ignored me. If I asked why he called me this, he ignored me.

"Yeah?" I said through a mouth full of meat.

"Tomorrow," he continued, "I am going to take you somewhere special."

He saw my eyes brighten and grinned. "Really?! Where?" I beamed.

He chuckled warmly, "It is a surprise. You will have to wait and see."

"Oh, please tell me," I begged.

"No," he said simply, "If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?"

"Ooh, I know!" I brainstormed, ignoring his rhetorical question, "How about you tell me what lecakie means and I won't bother you about tomorrow. Or you tell me about tomorrow and I won't ask what lecakie means again?"

He put down his cooked bird and leaned toward me, "How about you learn to be patient?"

His long fingers brushed against my skin as he tucked my hair behind my ear. My breath caught in my throat. 

His lips tugged into a sly grin. I stared into his deep chocolate pools of what were his eyes. His warm breath fanned on my skin, raising goosebumps. I wanted to touch his perfectly chiseled jaw, his brow, his lips... I wanted him.

My thoughts were interrupted by his fingers brushing against my cheek, "You are blushing," his eyes were soft and warm.

I realized how warm my cheeks were and how the heat deepened by the second. I wanted to die! Embarrassment swallowed me whole. Thinking about him made my heart become twisted, I forgot he was right in front of me.

His large hand cupped my face and thumb began to trace circles around the bruise on my eye as light as a feather. I tried to fight my eyelids from fluttering close. My chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. I wanted him to lean in. I wanted him to place a kiss on my eager lips.

How could I say such things?! He owned me. I know he could say I could leave, but what if there was an ulterior motive? What if he was lying? What if he just wanted me for sex?

Alice, if he wanted your body, he would have raped you by now. He is taking care of you! He healed you, fed you, bathed you, and you are still judging him?!

Yes, Alice, I am aware of this. But what if he wanted my trust and heal me so he could hurt me? What if he had this plan? He could be playing with our mind!

Our? Really Alice, we're going there? You're talking to yourself! Get a hold of yourself! So what if he kills you? You'll be healthy and happy, at least before he kills you, if he does. Mother and Harold don't want you. They left you here to die. Tecumseh is treating you right. Enjoy it while it lasts! You know, Alice, you have always been the one...

"Alice? Alice? Are you okay?"

I was snapped out of my intense conversation with myself by Tecumseh's urgent voice. My eyes flashed up to his face, "Huh-- wha?"

His face looked panicked as he stared intensely into my eyes. "I'm sorry, I was zoning. Did you say something?"

His eyebrows pulled up as if he knew something was up, but just shook his head. I ran my fingers through my short hair that had become curly. The sun had set and families were starting to put the children to sleep.

Tecumseh stood up and grabbed the bird bones and scraps. I reached out to him, "Oh, no, I can clean up."

"Alice, it is fine. You should rest," he continued to clean.

"But, Tecumseh, you said that was one of the chores I had to get done," I replied.

I quickly tried to clean up the rest, but being myself, I made more of a mess then there already was. On my knees, I scrambled around picking up the bits of skin, fat and bone that I missed.

Tecumseh squatted down, "Alice, my lecakie, I do not mind. Please, get some rest."

I looked up at him and nodded. He picked up the rest quickly with ease. He walked over to his kitchen space and threw the waste away. I stood up and watched all his muscles clench with every move as they clung to his lean form.

I caught my tongue tracing my dry lips and quickly slurped it back into my mouth before he caught me in another one of my fantasies. His glossy black hair was back into two braids and rested on his bare back.

He turned around and smiled, softly. "Go on," he said, "We have a big day tomorrow." He turned me around and faced me toward my cot.

I sighed in defeat and sloshed over. I threw myself onto my cot and rested my head on the feather pillow. Tecumseh blew out the candles and laid on his bed of furs. He rested hands on his stomach and stared at the ceiling of the tent.

I caught myself, again, goggling at him and my stomach did a flip. Not just at his handsomeness, but what if the people back home found out my thoughts of the man who held me "captive"? It was one thing that my hair was cut short, but them knowing I had feelings for a man who is called a 'savage'? It made me sick of what people thought of someone who didn't look like them.

I hugged my blanket to my chest, "Goodnight," I cooed.

He closed his eyes, "Good night, my scihotte lecakie."

~~~~~~Translations~~~~~~~

Lecakie : star

Scihotte : beautiful