Sabella's Journey

Chapter 11

I groaned when I heard a faint voice speaking to me. Then a hand tapped at my cheeks. With my half-awakened body, I lifted my hand in the air, gently slapping away whatever it was that had been fondling with my cheeks.
"Go away," I muttered, eyes still closed from having little to no sleep in the past few days.

"It's dawn. You have to get up," the voice spoke. This time I knew exactly who it was - Chaska. That bloody Indian.

My eyes bolted open, hovering above me was Chaska. I moaned as I moved my body from side to side, trying to get my lazy self up. I sighed loudly when I came to the realization that I didn't have any energy to even get up, so I flopped my head back down, completely forgetting about the hard ground beneath me that Chaska had allowed me to sleep on. Instead of being tied to the tree, I was bound by the hands and left on the ground. I closed my eyes tight and winced in pain when my head collided with the cold hard floor, only to hear a chuckle from above me.

"Haha very funny," I said with an annoyed voice while rolling my eyes.
The chuckle which had sounded a bit like music to my ears almost instantly stopped. I opened my eyes, looking back at me were soft and friendly ones. Chaska held out his hand for me to take hold of. Which I surprisingly did.
Tripping a bit when I got off the ground, I glanced around me only to see nothing except for Chaska and his horse.

I lifted both my brows and opened my mouth, but nothing came out at first. I gave Chaska a confused look, while he seemed to be amused by my somehow unusual facial expressions.
"Can you please explain to me what happened here?" I asked, still taken aback by the sudden changes.

He took a minute to probably think about what he was going to say then finally opened his mouth so actual words could come out. "I...well I have given them orders to take the prisoners and go ahead without me... and you," he blinked.

"Why?" was all I mustered up to ask because I needed answers. He was being strange, and I needed to get out of here - or at least try - again.

"Because we aren't far from my home... and... well I...um." He couldn't seem to finish what he was trying to say and not forgetting the nervousness spilling out of his voice.

I folded my arms and stared blankly at Chaska. "Well, go on then," I said, giving him an encouraging smile.

He sighed. "Just get on the horse," Chaska turned away from me, heading towards his black stallion, dropping the subject completely.

I didn't move though as I looked on with a frown, something's not right.
"Why are you still standing there? I said get on the horse," he tried to make it sound like he was ordering me but failed miserably.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me why you kept me here alone with you and let the rest of them go on without us," I told him, determined to not leave the spot I was standing.

Chaska grunted as he made his way back to me, stopping only inches away from my face, "We haven't got all day woman, my family will be waiting for my return," he lowered his head facing the ground.

"Go then. Nobody's stopping you," I smirked as his nose flared up.

"You are my prisoner and you will do as I say!" Chaska raised his voice at me but held no anger in them, only impatience. He sighed. "I'll tell you, just get on the horse. Please," he mumbled as his chocolate eyes finally raised to meet mine.

"Fine," I mumbled in annoyance, walking swiftly towards the stallion with Chaska smirking behind me.

The ride was slow and steady, judging by the rate we're going, Chaska said we will meet his village by sundown, while the others would arrive by noon.

"I know what you're thinking," Chaska stated, gazing at me as we were both huddled together on his horse.

"What am I thinking?" I replied, curious and unsure at what he was talking about.

"You think me and my people are savage killers. But that is not true-"

"I don't think so," I interrupted, defending myself, "I mean I didn't think so. But what you did-"

"Please, Bella. Let me finish," Chaska cut me off mid-sentence to continue. I nodded my head for him to go on, "Yes as I was saying, we don't go around slaughtering people senselessly, your wagon train was going to pass by our village, most of them were carrying a disease, if they had passed by my camp they would've wiped out everyone with their illness. We thought all of you were sick. But that was not the case when we finally caught up. Only a month ago whites came and slaughtered many women and children from our camp. We took you and your people to replace the ones we've lost. The men will be sold off and the women will be traded for Indian women," Chaska told me as he hung his head in shame, "I don't agree with all of this Bella, but it's not my decision to make. It's the elders when I become the leader, all of this will stop."

I was rendered speechless, I opened my mouth to say something but quickly closed it. What was I to say? I was to be traded or kept by some stranger once we got to the village. Although Chaska seems to be decent, now that I've got to know him better I still couldn't trust him.

It was now hours past noon, as every minute went by we got closer and closer to the village.
"Chaska?" I turned, still sitting on the stallion to face the Indian.

"Hmm?" Chaska hummed in response.

"What will happen to me when I get there?" I ask, tears visible within my eyes.

Chaska took the time to look over my face thoroughly before he spoke.

"No harm will come to you. That I know," was all he said with a small smile that reached his eyes.

We talked for hours about our lives back home, the childhood memories we so cherish, the life we'd always wanted but fate somehow took us into a different path.

Our conversations lasted hours with never-ending topics. We laughed until we couldn't anymore, and we frowned when either one of us spoke about the ones who had fallen behind.

Although I've only known Chaska for a short while, he was someone who I've felt understood me, someone with whom I could talk to when no one else is listening, someone whom I can be myself around without being judged. Chaska felt like home, so I reveled in the little hours we had left to enjoy the feeling of home one last time before we reached his village.

As the afternoon orange sunset slowly went into hiding, and the cold autumn breeze struck our faces, we came into view with Chaska's village. Huts sat in every direction in the small clearing within the forest floors, children ran around playing, as adults moved around within the corners of their huts, a huge fire sat in the center, horses stood close to the small river that flowed through the village and swept into the forest. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

I turned back facing Chaska who held a smile so bright it glimmered within his eyes, as my heart plummeted through my chest. Taking a deep breath to let the air flow through my lungs, I turned back to face the village as we made our way down the hills and into the home of the savage who stayed close behind me, whom I now would proudly call a friend.