The Lewis and Clark Expedition ❤️

Fox Tail

Clark's pov

"So what do you think of the flower?"

I snapped out of my trance and tried to look engaged in the group conversation again.

Lewis had been speaking for some time now, he always did, but this day I found it harder to concentrate. I guess it was good John was here so Lewis wasn't talking to a brick wall. Kali seemed to talk more whenever John did. She must need to be comfortable around people.

"Are we stopping soon?" Lewis asked.

I realized we had no idea where we were or how long we'd gone. All I saw were trees, grass, and even more trees. The forest in these parts were so thick with life that I felt mother nature was spilling out. Mushrooms and flowers dotted whatever way we turned. Lewis never wanted to draw and observe the plants, he instead would sketch the people we would meet along the way.

Lewis is a incredibly gifted artist. He will never tell you this, he's extremely insecure about it. But the people he's drawn are lifelike. The way he can capture emotion with only a few lines and shading is impeccable. He actually made a drawing of me once and I treasure it dearly.

"Yeah, let's stop at the top of this hill," I replied.

"I hope this isn't too whiny sounding, but my feet are dying. Is there somewhere I can get better shoes?" John inquired as he trudged up hill with the rest of us. Twigs snapped underneath our feet like a song beat.

"Why don't you tell us leader-boy," I snapped back as hard as the fallen branches.

He grew silent and Kali glared at me, making me uneasy. I closed the gap between me and Lewis and leaned in to whisper into his ear.

"Was that bad?"

"Very," Lewis muttered back, "Usually when you tell a joke you don't insult them too."

"Noted, thank you," I ended with a smile as I saw what was above the hill.

The top was a lot more sparse, with just a few trees on each side of some kind of meadow. The hill turned out to be more of a cliff that gave the most stunning view of the land beneath us.

"Bloody brilliant," John sighed as he too took in the scenary.

Almost as beautiful as Kali, I thought to myself.

A fist of wind picked up and shook the leaves into the drop off and into the view. I reached behind my head and untied the ribbon pulling my hair from my face. With my hair down, the gusts ripped through it, throwing and tossing it all around my head.

After a while of standing and taking in the beauty, we decided this would be a great place to sleep for the night. Even though it was just the beginning of the evening, we were all too tired to continue on.

I started to set up the tents while Lewis and Kali set up an place for fire. I was too busy watching Kali that I didn't realise John had come up next to me and aide.

It was very silent. It made me very uncomfortable.

"Hey, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to offend. I just," I exhaled as I pulled the rope back and John hammered in a nail, "I just get irritable seeing the same old things over and over."

John hit the nail with a huge cleaning noise that made me jump. "Well maybe lashing out isn't the best way to react to things." He got up and stalked over to where the rest of the group was sitting. I've ran through my veins and made my heart pound faster. My fingers got tingly like they always do when someone insults me. The wind seemed to get fiercer as the night got darker and darker. My hair flew in front of my view and slapped my face and ears. Still I stood on the outside of the group while they laughed merrily in the light of the fire.

Kali looked up from where she sat after awhile and caught my glance. I broke eye contact and slipped into the tent.

The darkness greeted me and enveloped my fears and sorrow and let them be. Let the there to fester and simmer out. The light pierces it, trying to force it away, while the dark let's it go at it's own pace. I have spent a lot of time alone.

I heard someone enter in behind me so I turned, expecting Lewis, but instead came face to face with Kali. Her face was so close that our noses almost touched.

"Um, hi"

"Hi," I echoed.

She sifted in her seat under my gaze. I hoped I wasn't being to creepy or odd.

"John said you tried to apologise for what you said earlier," Kali mumbled.

"Yeah, I tired to. I regret saying it if that makes any difference," I muttered back. My hair was all over my face and I angrily tried to swipe it away but it worked to no avail.

"Here," Kali reached out to touch my hair, " do you have a ribbon?"

I pulled the blue ribbon from my pocket and laid in in her soft palm. She gestured for me to turn around. I did and I felt her fingers combing through my locks. It felt nice, but I said nothing as she pulled it back and tied it.

"There," she exclaimed once she finished, " I like your hair tied back anyways, it reminds me of a fox tail."

"Funny you'd say that," I said with a chuckle, " That's the first thing Lewis ever said to me."

"How do you two know each other anyways? From what it seems, it's been forever!"

"Ha oh no," I laughed again at the thought of our first meeting, "he was transferred to be under my comand when he got kicked out of his old unit for misbehaving. He arrived first day to his new battalion and that's the first thing he says: "your hair looks like a fox tail". Everyone expected me to tell or shout or kick him out but instead, I became very close to him. Still am now."

"He sounds like a really great friend to have," Kali gushed.

"Yeah, I guess he is," I replied with a smile.