Dreamcatching

Chapter 13

Kaden slammed the door to their room and flopped on his bunk in a huff. Slate glanced at the bottom of the top bunk with a grimace. "It's going to work out, Kaden," he said. "You know it will. You two have to be ok."

Kaden thrashed around on his mattress trying to settle his restlessness. He was upset with how everything'd panned out at Nora's. He didn't even respond to Slate's comments except to sigh.

Echoing the sentiment, Slate came out from under the bunk and grabbed a few things for the showers. "Gonna go clean up," he said. "Be back later, man."

"Yeah," Kaden replied listlessly.

Reaching down between his mattress and the bedframe, Kaden pulled out his flute. Fingering the holes in the wood, he tried to relax. He brought the ahpikòn up to his lips and began to play a song that used to be Nora's favorite. As he lost himself in the music, memories floated in his mind with the notes...

It'd been mid-day in late September. Everyone in his village was in high spirits. A large harvest had been reaped. The three sister crops, squash, maize and beans, were bountiful that year. In addition, hunting'd been successful and families were sent to bed with full stomachs and much gratefulness. Previous years'd been lean; nightly hunger pains were common-place. That year was different, though, and the tribe was happy. They'd spent numerous evenings around the bonfire thanking the Great Spirit for blessing them.

Despite his family's happiness, Kaden was disgruntled. He'd yet to bring home any meat himself that season. No one complained but he was at an age in which he felt he should be doing better. He took off for a walk in the forest to clear his mind.

When Kaden stumbled into a small clover patch an hour later he was surprised to find himself in the company of a small girl. She had an intricate braid woven through her hair, big blue eyes and tiny hands.

A worn throw blanket carpeted the ground and an assortment of items sat patiently for her mistress' attention.

Kaden glanced around and found they were alone.

What was this girl doing in the woods by herself? He wondered. Where were her chaperones or family? Why was she on their tribal lands? Did she know she was trespassing? And what, exactly, was she doing with those sticks? Surely she wasn't-

She was!

She was trying to start a fire!

The girl had no idea she was being watched as she continued to rub a horizontally-placed stick with a bow across a vertical one. She was trying to ignite the small coal sitting at the base of the vertical stick. Fascinated with her determination, and the pretty pink tongue sticking out of the side of her lips, Kaden stood behind some trees to watch.

Once the coal started smoking the girl bent over to breathe life into it before placing it among already gathered kindling. When she had a small fire going, the girl sat back on her haunches and smiled.

"I did it," she said to herself with pride.

"Yes," Kaden said, coming out of his hiding place. "The question is: Why? And: What are you doing here?"

Like most people caught unawares, Nora squealed with fright. When she saw the unfamiliar Native American boy, she jumped up and grabbed a small knife from her ankle. "Stay back!" She hollered bravely. "I don't want to hurt you."

It was all Kaden could do not to laugh. She'd been 100 pounds soaking wet and the knife she held was better suited for killing mice than men. Still, its blade did look rather sharp.

Tiny as it was, it was a beautiful piece, too. Intricate patterns were carved into the wood of the handle. Kaden admired its craftmanship.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he reasoned calmly. "But you are on our land. I want to know why."