Star
Author: Jesfrealo
Disclaimer:
I wish I owned them but I don’t, sadly. Thankfully, I still get to play with
them. Don’t sue, I’m not worth a thing.
Author’s note: The references to the
culture of the Kiowa Indian tribe is something I made up (so therefore
is completely false and should be seen as nothing but fiction coming from the
mind of yours truly). However it is true that in 1874 they escaped the
reservations and fought a year before being recaptured. Mistakes are all mine…this is not betaed.
The
morning light shone brightly against the dusty, backwater town of
Chris
stole a glance down the main road of
Without
saying anything Vin got up
and began walking towards the little girl. For the briefest of moments Chris wondered
why. Then he saw it. Some of the town’s women were crying out about ‘injuns’ coming. Chris couldn’t help but laugh a little at
the seen. It really was ridiculous. Here there were three very grown women
screaming bloody murder about seeing one tiny Indian child. However Chris’
laughter stopped immediately as he saw one of the town’s men head toward the
little girl with his gun pulled. The sense fear he saw in the child’s eyes was
heart breaking, even for someone as hardened as Chris Larabee.
The chocolate brown eyes oozed with terror and pleaded for help. She was far
too young and innocent to realize or understand the hatred that was being
directed toward her. Chris quickened his pace, as he feared for the little girl
and the man he knew to be Preston Montgomery neared her with his gun drawn.
"
"Looky here, boy,"
"Shut-up,
Vin had stopped paying attention to
"Hello,"
A tiny voice interrupted Vin’s
thoughts. He immediately turned to look at the small child astride the huge
horse. "My mama sends me here."
"Hi
there, why does your mama send you here?" Vin questioned in a soft kind voice.
"I
do not know, she just tells me to come to this place and she would come here and
get me soon as she could."
"Well,
then, darlin’ lets git you
down from there, and figure out where yer gonna stay until your mama comes and gets you." Vin then reached up to help her down however she ignored
him and dismounted herself, with remarkable grace for such a small child and
such a big horse.
"Where
we go?" She asked in her tiny, slightly accented completely angelic voice.
"Well,
um-"
"Why
don’t you bring her to my place, Vin?" Mary
Travis conveniently stepped in.
"You sure about that, Mary? I mean-"
"Yes,
Vin, I’m positive," She answered assuredly. Then
she turned to the little girl.
"Well,
darling, what’s your name?"
"Wild
Star but mama just calls me star, you can too," She answered quietly,
"I go with you?"
Mary
looked towards Vin and then
Chris for a moment. When both men immediately nodded she answered. "Yes, dear. Come on with me. Are you hungry?" She
asked the little girl as they got out of Chris and Vin’s earshot.
"Why
do you think her mother sent her here, Vin?"
"I ain’t got no idea but I know that
something must have been wrong for her mother to send her to a white frontier
town. That’s an awful big risk and every Indian knows it. Wherever that little
girl is from they must be real scared, or at least her ma must be."
"Question
is, what is it that’s got her ma scared so much."
~*~
"So,
Star, what would you like to eat?" Mary Travis asked the shy little girl.
"Anything
will do nicely," Star commented a little absently while looking in
absolute wonder at Mary’s kitchen.
Seeing that
the little girl had utterly no interest in eating Mary tried another tactic to
open Star up. "Where are you from?"
"Far
away," She answered quietly, now giving Mary her full and attention and
looking just a little like a frightened puppy with her big brown eyes and sad
expression.
"Did
your Mama tell you when she was coming back here to get you?"
"No,
mama just said for me to have no worries; she would be back, no matter
what," Star said sounding very sad. Mary could see the moisture gathering
in her eyes.
Mary
didn’t like upsetting the little girl, but the situation was so peculiar she
needed some answers and Star was the only one who could give her answers.
"Did she tell you to come specifically to
"What
is spe-?"
"Specifically,"
Mary began feeling extremely foolish for using such a big word with such a
small child, especially one who, apparently, didn’t speak English as her first
language. "It means like did she tell you to come to this spot or did she
just tell you to head in this direction."
"Oh,
she tells me to come to this town. She says someone special is here and he protect me."
"Does
this ‘he’ have a name?"
"My tribe call him white coyote," Star explained.
"Oh,
does that name mean something besides a white coyote?" Mary asked, always
having been fascinated with Native American tribes.
"Yes,
coyote means crafty hunter and in this name white means he is a white
man," Star explained sounding nothing like the tiny child she was.
"You
mean this man your mama said would protect is a white man in this town?"
"Yes."
She answered in the affirmative also with a nod of her tiny head.
"Do
you have any ideas on what White Coyote looks like?"
"No,
‘cept mama said he is white man that looks like us.
She say I must find him so I can be safe."
"What
tribe are you from?"
"Mama
leave tribe before I can remember it. She says I in
danger there. She teaches me our ways on her own. Mama tells me everything she
knows about white man and us. I am very scared…I want my mama!" She spoke
as tears began to fall from her eyes. Mary took her in her arms and hugged her;
the little girl clung to her for a moment. Then as if remembering where she
was, Star released Mary and walked toward the window.
"Honey,
are you okay?" Mary asked tenderly.
"Yes,
but I do not want to talk about it anymore," she stated as if on the verge
of throwing a serious temper tantrum.
Mary
suddenly was feeling inordinately insensitive for prodding such a small child
about such an obviously difficult subject. "Okay, are you hungry?"
"Yes,"
she smiled.
"Good,"
Mary smiled as well happy that her maternal instincts had kicked in, in time.
~*~
The
little girl was obviously tired from her trip. Immediately after she ate the
food Mary had provided for her she began to get very drowsy and Mary put her to
bed. Star now slept quite fitfully. For that Mary was very happy. However she
was also very curious as to Star’s words earlier. She wondered who this mystery
man could be. And why would her mother leave the tribe? Why would her mother
suddenly send her here? Why did Star’s mother think she was in danger if she
was with the tribe?
The
knocking of the door sliced through Mary’s thoughts. She got up quickly to
answer it. When she did it was of no surprise when seven men walked into her
home.
"How’s
Star?" Vin asked obviously
very concerned for her wellbeing. He felt a connection to the little girl. Even
though he couldn’t begin to explain it he inwardly cringed at the thought of
her being in any kind of distress. The truth of the matter was, it frightened
him to have such feelings, that could only be
described as paternal, toward the small child.
"She
seems to be doing well. She ate like a horse then became very sleepy. Now she’s
sleeping like a little angel in Billy’s room," Mary answered
automatically.
"Well
that’s good," Chris answered for Vin
who had been acting just a little bit strange since they’d rescued Star that
morning. "We haven’t learned a thing about her-"
"Well,"
Mary interrupted, "I have."
"You
have," Chris repeated with no trace of emotion.
"Yes, and what I found was quite intriguing but only left me
with more questions." Mary answered and stopped to figure out exactly how
to explain what Star had told her.
"Mrs.
Travis, go on, you have captured our attention most fervently. Pray tell what
has our young friend Miss Star divulged to you?" Ezra Standish asked very
curious along with his compatriots as to what the young child had told the
beautiful news paper editor.
"Well,
let’s see. She told me that she and her mother didn’t live with a tribe. Apparently
her mother left the tribe before Star could remember thinking that Star would
be in danger if she remained. Her mother also told her to come to
"Well,
did she say who this man was exactly, Mis’
Travis?" Nathan Jackson asked very caught up in
the midst of this story as were the rest of the men.
"Only
two details, one he is, in Star’s exact words is ‘a white man that look like
us’ us I assume meaning the Indians. And two his name was or is White
Coyote."
"Don’t know nobody ‘round here named White Coyote-" Buck
began but he was cut off by Vin.
"You
sure she said to come to White Coyote, that he would protect her?" Vin questioned sounding somewhat
incredulous.
"Why,
Vin, you know who this White Coyote is?" Chris question hoping that he did. So that they could take
him to this man and figure out what in hell was going on.
"Yeah,
White Coyote is me," Vin
answered sounding very distant.
"Excuse me, Vin,
you’re White Coyote?" Chris questioned, surprised to say the least.
Though, he supposed, he shouldn’t really have been surprised that Vin had an Indian name. After all,
he had lived with the Indians for some time. Really what surprised him was that
Star’s mother would send her little girl, alone, to Vin. There had to be more to the story, more that
either Vin wasn’t telling
them or, more, that Vin himself didn’t know. Chris
could remember how protective Sarah always was of Adam. It would have had to be
a life and death situation for her to send him away, especially by himself. And
the person she sent him to would have to be somebody she trusted immensely.
Throughout his life Chris had learned that all mothers were like that with
their children, fiercely protective. So why did Star’s mother send her to Vin, of all people?
"Yeah,
I’m White Coyote, that’s the name the Kiowas
gave me when I was living with them," he spoke a little distractedly.
"Why
would her mother send her to you?" Mary questioned, as curious about this
as everyone else.
"I don’t
know, I don’t know this little girl but maybe if she told me her mother’s
name-"
"You are
White Coyote?" a little voice interrupted from the stairway, big beautiful
eyes wide.
"Yeah,"
Vin said gently, turning,
surprised that he hadn’t heard her. Then again, as he remembered his time with
the Kiowas, maybe he shouldn’t have been surprised.
"You are
who my mama told me to find," she commented to him.
"Why did
yore mama send you to me?" Vin
asked her quietly, hoping that her mother had told her because he certainly had
no idea why this woman sent her baby to him.
"You do
not know?" Star questioned with an edge of panic to her voice, she had
never before considered that this man would not know her.
"No, you
don’t know either?"
"No,"
She said sadly. "You not going to take care of me?" she asked, tears
welling in her big brown eyes.
"Of
course we are," Mary piped in without thinking because she couldn’t allow that
precious little girl to think for a moment longer that she would be turned out.
"It has
to be White Coyote," she said quietly but insistently. "Mama told me
to stay with no one but White Coyote," She said shaking her head up down
as if trying to remember every word her mother had told her.
"Don’t worry, darlin’. I’ll take care of ya," Vin
said reassuringly. "Now, why don’t you tell me yore ma’s name, maybe I
know her?"
"Mama’s
name is Dancing Wind but people always call her Kaiyana,
when I ask her why she says it means dancing wind in Kiowa, and that she always
thought it sounds prettier then Dancing Wind," Star said for the benefit
of those who didn’t know Kiowa.
Vin sat down with a
shocked look on his face. When Star said her mother’s name, his jaw actually
dropped. Then a very upsetting thought crossed his mind. When he lived with the
Kiowas they had accepted him; for the most part
however there was one line that the chief always warned him not to cross, for
his safety and the young ladies. The chief had warned to never become involved
with any of the women there. As much as the Kiowas
liked and even accepted Vin,
it was NOT acceptable for a white man to be with any of the Kiowa women. Vin could still remember the
struggle he was having internally when the Chief had said that to him because
he was already in love with one of the Kiowa women, the chief’s daughter.
Matters were
even more complicated than that though, the Kiowas
believed her to be the answer to an old prophecy. The prophecy spoke of a
powerful warrior princess coming to rescue the tribe in a time of danger and a
time when the tribe’s very existence was in jeopardy. The tribe believed the
chief’s daughter, Kaiyana or Dancing Wind (as she was
called in English), was the answer to their prayers and the old prophecy. They
had come to believe that she was powerful and mighty. She was treated in great
reverence and everyone in the tribe obeyed her every word, even her father. A
big part of the reason Vin
had been accepted into the tribe in the first place was because he and Kaiyana had met in the woods and had gotten to talk. He,
for a reason he was never able to determine, opened up to her and expressed his
need to belong. His need to have a home. She offered
to take him to her tribe without hesitation. He immediately thought that they
wouldn’t accept him, especially so quickly. However she told him about the
legend they had given her and how they practically worshipped her.
He went with
her to the reservation. They fell in love relatively quickly. They would go off
into the woods together at night, under the guise that she was teaching Vin the finer points of tracking (which he already knew
from previous learning), and spend the night together in secret. However, their
time together was short-lived. After only six months of having an intimate
relationship, Kaiyana was forced to go on the run.
Some of the
white settlers had heard of the prophecy that the people believed that Kaiyana was meant to fulfill. The short time that Vin had with her had been the year when the Kiowa people
had escaped the reservations, that ended though and local whites wanted Kaiyana more then anything. The prophecy the settlers
learned about said that she was a great warrior, and she was an excellent
fighter, however they mocked her and the tribe. Everything about her was
graceful and her fighting style was no exception, many of the moves she made
while fighting seemed to defy gravity. However what the men really wanted
(beyond Kaiyana herself, who they wanted because of
her looks and beauty but also because the hope of many of the Kiowas rested entirely with her, capturing and using her
would crush them for sure, they thought) was the one thing that Kaiyana would never give up. It was a special necklace that
Kaiyana had told Vin about, one that she never took off. It was a
magnificent red gemstone that glowed on and off red and was always warm
regardless of its exposure to harsh or cold weather. However if Kaiyana took the gem off it would turn blue and get ice
cold. Kaiyana never took it off though. Her mother
had been the first to say that she was the answer to the old prophecy and
shortly after Kaiyana had been born her mother had
received a vision that told her to go to a special waterfall in the mountains
and retrieve the gem. It then told her to give it to her daughter, that it
would protect the little girl always, even if she couldn’t. Her mother had gone
to the waterfall. She’d dived in and swam underneath the falls. That’s when she
saw the stone, deep blue, resting on the rocks behind the falls, just waiting
for her. She had gone home with the magnificent gem and put on her baby. To her
amazement she watched the gem go from a deep sapphire blue to a bright ruby red
that glowed to the pace of the baby’s heart. Kaiyana’s
mother had died when she was only five; it was one of the biggest ways she and Vin had been able to relate to one
another. Although her mother truly believed that her daughter was the answer to
the ancient prophecy she had also made sure that Kaiyana
was allowed to be a person and not just an answer to a prophecy, a new legend.
She had protected her little girl and had allowed her a short period where she
could make mistakes and not be infallible without threat of ridicule, and the
pain that would go with it.
After her mother had died, that luxury died with her. She became lonely. As
a child, once her mother was gone, she was taught to hunt, fight, and track.
She had natural talent and was a very quick study. She was also incredibly
intelligent. It wasn’t long at all before the entire tribe was really convinced
that she was the answer to the ancient prophecy. Also, though, from that time
on people treated her as if she were super human, incapable of making mistakes,
beautiful (inside and out), and the answer to their most profound and urgent
prayers. So much was expected of her, more than most would be able to handle, she did though. However, hers was an intensely lonely
existence.
She was held
in such high regard that people were hesitant to have an actual conversation
with her. She had no friends even her father treated her as if she was too
incredible to get near. She always felt shunned and after her mother died, she
had no childhood. When she grew into a young woman, the men of the tribe never
even considered her. She was a magnificent beauty and a man would have had to
be dead not to notice her however none ever considered approaching her with the
idea of marriage. Not only was she too good for them, they believed, but
according to the prophecy she was a warrior princess and it also spoke nothing
of her marrying or having any kind of life except living for the freedom and
mere existence of the tribe. However Vin
had no such beliefs ingrained into him. They could relate, for both were lonely
and friendless. But their relationship was far more then lust. They were best
friends, soul mates. When she had left Vin
had found her and begged her to allow him to go with her. However she declined, saying that he deserved
better then a life on the run and in constant danger. He had known from the
look in her deep brown, gentle eyes that her mind was made up. She was the most
incredible woman he would ever know. Also, she was probably the most
self-sufficient, independent, proud, intelligent, beautiful and hardheaded
stubborn woman (or man for that matter) he’d ever know. He knew he was losing
her. Oh, he knew that they would never catch her and even if they did, she
would escape, for she was also the best fighter he would ever know. But he
never thought she’d hold on to him. She would probably be on the run for the
rest of her life and she wanted him to have more from life then that.
"You
know mama?" The little voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Yes,"
Vin stammered, "How old
are you?" He asked suddenly, his voice sounding urgent and nervous.
"Five,"
She said triumphantly as she held up five fingers to show him visually the
number of years old she was, not understanding the tone of voice and completely
oblivious to Vin’s current
thoughts.
Still seated Vin rested his head in his hands
as he immediately did the math and realized the implications of the little
girl’s words, his little girl’s words.
"Vin, what is it?" Chris
questioned although he already had a pretty good idea what was so obviously
wrong with his friend, if the look on his face was anything to go by.
Vin seemed not to hear
him, he was too caught up in his thoughts, and the fact that he was suddenly
sure he was this wonderful little girl’s father. "Come here and talk to
me, Star," He spoke in his soft, lazy drawl, ignoring Chris, with a look
in his eyes that his friends, even Chris, had never before seen.
"You are
White Coyote, for really?" She asked suddenly fearing that he wasn’t
speaking the truth about his identity, and fearing that she may not be obeying
her beloved mother, who had warned her sternly to be weary of the people that
she met.
"Yes,"
Vin spoke gently and
quietly, looking the little girl directly in the eyes. Realizing
at that moment that she was far more then just a little girl. He mother
had indeed trained her carefully. For she was studying him closely, in a way
only a well-trained Kiowa warrior would or could. He had no doubts that she
wouldn’t hesitate in testing him, in asking something that would prove his
identity to her.
Star walked
cautiously and gracefully toward Vin,
looking nothing like a five years old. She stopped when she was right in front
of him and looked directly into his cobalt eyes as she spoke decisively in the
Kiowa language and asked him a personal question about he
and her mother. It was something only he could now and it involved something
that always happened during their intimacies. He was shocked that Kaiyana would tell Star this before realizing that the
question would mean nothing to anyone except Vin and Kaiyana, it had no
meaning to even someone old enough to understand what had happened between Vin and Kaiyana. So he quietly
answered back in Kiowa the answer to her question.
"You are
really him," she said happily. It was not a question but statement that
ensured her safety and that meant she had fulfilled her beloved mother’s
request.
"Yes, I
am," Vin said, thrilled
that she believed him but unsure of what was to come.
Star
continued to smile happily, knowing now that she was safe and no one could hurt
her now that she was in this man’s care. It was then that she remembered the
letter. The letter her mother had pinned to the inside of one of her layers of
clothing. The letter her mother had told her to make sure to give to White
Coyote as soon as she was certain that who she had found was indeed White
Coyote. "I give something to you," she spoke a little absently as she
struggled to get under her top layer to reach the letter her mother had secured
there before she left.
"What?"
Vin asked when he snapped
out of his silent musings.
"A
letter from mama," she commented still not paying much attention to him as
she struggled with her clothes.
Not exactly
understanding what the look on Vin’s
face meant Mary moved to help the tiny girl with the particular article of
clothing that was giving her so much trouble. "Here Darling, let me help
you?" Mary asked.
The little
girl nodded and proceeded to stop struggling and allow Mary to pull of the
offending object.
"You’re
ma wrote me a letter?" Vin asked, extremely eager
for an explanation yet a little unsure of what to expect from Kaiyana after so many years and so much time and so many
struggles separated from one another.
"Yes,"
Star answered dutifully as she took the letter in her small hand and prepared
to give the letter over to her temporary guardian, "She said to make sure
that I give it to you." With that she handed Vin her mother’s letter.
Vin took the letter a
little hesitantly. He felt confident that he could read it-his lessons with
Mary made it possible to read just about anything with minimal difficulty.
However what made him unsure of his capability of reading the letter was how
unsure of what its contents would reveal. The more he thought about it the more
courage he gained so as his mounted he finally tore open the letter and began
to read:
Dear Vin,
If you’re reading this letter it means Star
has reached you, and I thank the heavens for that. Also I’m sure you’ve already
figured it out but if you haven’t-You’re her father. I’m sorry that I never
found you to tell you about her. I didn’t want you to force yourself into a
life on the run because I fear I will always be hunted to some extent for who I
am. I knew that as soon as you found out there would be nothing I or anyone
else could do to keep you away. So for these reasons and perhaps others I
didn’t tell you about her. I know that you will watch over her in my absence- I
only hope that all of this is not to hard on her. I
will come to you both as soon as possible, but I will make no promises. I will
not tell you exactly what I am doing or the whereabouts in which I do
them-except to say that there is danger and I may not make it back. For all of
this uncertainty I apologize. Oh, Vin,
what has happened? I only hope I make it back to explain all of this to you
better. And in the event that I cannot come to you-I can rest easy with the
knowledge that Star is with you because being with you means that she’s safe.
Star doesn’t know that you are her father-as you have more then likely already
figured out. It is entirely your choice if and when you tell her. Rest assured
that if you do tell her, she will believe what you say. With this I say goodbye
with the hope of hello in the near future.
Love Always,
Kaiyana
The letter
was short and to the point. Vin
couldn’t help but smile a somewhat bittersweet smile. Kaiyana
was her same old self. He had always marveled at how good her english was-so much better then
his. She even wrote like that. Her letter had left no question in his mind
about his being Star’s father. However in every other aspect it left a hundred
questions that he ached to have answers to. However more then anything he found
himself hoping beyond hope that she made it to him and Star. He hoped that they
may have some future together. He also wondered what he should tell Star-and
his friends. They were all looking at him expecting some type of reaction in
response to the letter. His mind wandered through the possible outcomes of all
of the things he chose to or not chose to tell them.
"Star,"
he heard himself say as he stalled for more time, "Are you tired?"
"Not
really," She said not giving him the response he was looking for.
"Oh,
well I gotta talk to these people and…"
"I can’t
listen too?" She asked innocently.
"Well, darlin…um…I reckon you kin…a…wait…maybe…uh…how’ bout you
‘an me we have a little talk just the two of us upstairs where you were
sleeping?"
Star looked
at him quizically for a moment before answering him,
"Okay, we go upstairs to talk," giving him a big smile, still happy
that she had found him all by herself, like a big girl, her mother had said.
Star continued smiling, knowing that mama would be proud of her.
~*~
They had
reached the Billy’s room more quickly then Vin would have liked. He tried to shuffle through his
thoughts and figure out what he wanted to say to the little girl that was his
daughter. Daughter, my daughter, I have a daughter. It was daunting to
learn such a thing and have to deal with it so quickly.
"What
you want to talk about?" Star asked smiling.
"Well…um…darlin’," He spoke suddenly that honesty was the best
way to go. He was an honest man and didn’t figure on changing his ways now,
especially now. "I have somethin’ real important
to tell ya."
"What?"
Star asked listening closely to his every word as her mother had instructed her
to.
"Do you
know why you mother sent you to me?"
"No, do
you?"
"Yes."
"You going to tell me?" She asked expectantly.
"Yes."
"Okay,"
She said finally sensing his nervousness and in turn looking sheepishly down at
her feet.
"Okay,"
Vin spoke getting more
self-conscious with each passing second. "Sit down," He gestured
toward the bed. Once the were seated, side-by-side, he
continued, "You’re mama sent you to me because I am your daddy."
"Daddy?" Star’s tiny voice sounding half surprised, half
as if she had no idea what the word meant.
"Yeah,
do you know what that is?" Vin
said cursing himself for his stupidity. With the way Star had grown up, away
from everyone and everything, and just with her mother, it wasn’t unreasonable
to think that she might not know what a father was.
"Not
really," She said her angelic face looking a little ashamed,
as if she thought he would be mad at her for not knowing. "I am
sorry."
"No, no, there ain’t no
reason for you to be sorry. Ya ain’t
done a thing wrong." Vin
gave her a big smile to assure her how serious he was about his not being mad.
"I not
let you down?"
"No, you
haven’t done a thing wrong," Vin
reiterated.
"So,
what is a daddy?"
"Well,
that’s kind of a tough question," Vin
thought about how to describe what a father was when he realized how difficult
it was to describe what a father is especially when he never had one himself.
Also he didn’t exactly know how much to say, or what to say and what not to
say. He really needed a woman. Well, what he really needed was Kaiyana, but since she wasn’t available at the moment he
figured Mary would have to do. "Well, there, Star, I’ll tell ya what, I think I’m gonna ask Mis’ Travis to explain that to you, alright?"
"Okay,"
Star nodded definitively, happy that she would be learning and even more happy that someone was going to explain to her what
this mysterious daddy thing was.
"Good,
now I’ll be back in a little while. I’ve got to go talk the Miz
Travis."
~*~
I think
right now the one thing that would make me happy would be killing Vin. How could he do this to me?
‘Oh, Mary, could you do me one little favor?’ That’s what he says. How do I
know what to tell this little girl? What she needs is her mother. I suppose
though if I don’t know what to say I certainly couldn’t expect Vin to. It’s funny, when Vin told me he was Star’s father,
I was surprised, but only to a certain extent. Vin is the kind of man who naturally would make a
good father.
"Well, Dear," Mary spoke, ending her revere when she noticed
Star starring at her, expecting her to start talking. Mary began trying to find
a way to adequately describe a father. "A daddy is someone who helps the
mommy raise the children." She said knowing that
that was terribly inadequate but seeing it as, as good a start as anywhere
else.
"Why?"
"Why, what?"
"Why
does he help?"
"Oh, because he loves them."
"Why?
"Why
does he love them?"
"Yes."
"Because
he loves the mommy and he helped her make the children," Mary said hoping
that the answer was adequate because she really didn’t want to go into this any
further.
"Mama
didn’t make me by herself?"
"No,
someone helped her, you’re daddy," Mary asked, pleased that Star was
beginning to get the point.
"White
Coyote helped make me?"
"Yeah,"
Vin answered, just a little
sheepishly, while his cheeks blushed bright red. He spoke from where he stood
waiting for this moment, outside the door.
"You
love mama?"
Her question
caught him a little off guard at first. "Yes, I love your mama."
"Do you
love me?"
"Yes, I
do."
Mary took the
moment of silence that ensued to leave the father and daughter alone.
"Really?" Star asked in her endearing little voice.
"Really,"
Vin smiled.
"Will we
be a family when mama comes back?"
"I hope
so, but that’s something we’re all gonna have to talk
about."
"Okay,"
she accepted happily.
"Now,"
Vin said. "I think that
it’s time for somebody to go to bed."
"It is
past your bedtime?" She answered with a big smile.
"No,
it’s past your bedtime," he said with a laugh.
"Okay,"
Star conceded, "I get ready."
"Good."
Shots. Yes, she definitely heard shots. She sat up from her
resting-place and listened silently. Faintly, off in the distance she heard men
shouting and bullets exploding violently from guns. In fear, she got up and
began running. It was damp and cold outside. There was a chilling mist falling
from the sky and as she quickened her pace, her flowing black hair started
getting wet. With every step her beautiful wet locks came forward and slapped
her in the face. She ran quickly. It wasn’t long ago that she had considered
giving up on life. She was getting older and years on the run had caused her to
feel tired beyond her years. However one thought of her precious little girl
had put an end to any thoughts of that kind. Her main goal now,
was to try to find a way to escape these monsters, who called themselves men
and get back to her daughter and hopefully the soul mate she had lost. She
could vaguely remember thinking that she could live without him. But could she
really call this life? The only thing akin to real life she’d experienced in
the five years without him was her daughter, a life created from them both. She
quickened her pace as a bullet hitting far to close
for comfort snapped her out of her reverie. She gracefully jumped into the
thick brush hoping she hadn’t lost her touch…hoping she could still hide in the
cover without being caught…
~*~
Star had gone
to bed happy with the way things were because while she wished her mama was
with her she had done what mama had asked and that made her very proud. Except
that when Star had gone to bed she’d had a bad dream. It wasn’t clear in her
mind but she knew without doubt that her mother was in trouble. She could no
longer sleep. Only stay awake and feel sad. "I miss mama," Star said
to the stars in the sky as she watched them. Mama had always told her that there
was always someone in the heavens who would listen and although Star was far to young to fully comprehend anything religious, she liked
the idea and talked often towards the heavens when she needed to speak what was
on her heart. "I’m ‘fraid she will not come
back. She has been gone so long. She promised she would try to come back to me.
But what if she could not? What if I never see mama again, what will I
do?"
Vin listened silently to
his little girl. He had been surprised when he had peaked in on Star just
before he was preparing to leave Mary’s and found his daughter awake and
speaking. He had wondered whom she had been speaking to before sneaking
silently, further into the room. He had been watching her ever since. Speaking to the sky, confiding in it her fears. As he
listened to the desperation and despair in the little girl’s voice he felt
compelled to do something to allay her fears, but he could thing of no good
words, no perfect phrases to ease her pain. However, as he watched Star
further, as he saw that tears were now eminent, he racked his brain to think of
something to say to her. But he could think of absolutely nothing to say to the
little girl that he hardly knew, but already within the span of fifteen short
hours, had fallen utterly in love with.
A tiny, painfilled sob racked the room and without thinking any
further on it, Vin spoke,
"It’s okay Darlin’," He said this as
soothingly as he could.
"No it’s
not!" Star cried, not feeling at all surprised to see him, also finding
herself glad, although she wasn’t sure why. "Mama is in trouble!"
"How do
you know?" Vin asked
trying to be comforting while also trying to fight off the worry he felt when
he thought of Kaiyana in trouble.
Star felt a
sudden swell of anger. It was beyond her years and came from maturity; she by
all rights shouldn’t have, but possessed none the less. However, it came in the
form of something akin to a tantrum and quickly turned into nothing less. No
matter how mature she was still a child and it fueled a very adult like anger.
"You said you love her!" Star yelled while crying hysterically.
"I
do!" Vin cried
defensively.
"Then
why are you here, why aren’t you helping my mama!?!" With those yelled
words Star seated herself on the floor and pulled her knees to her chest and
started rocking herself back and forth.
"Darlin’ I don’t know where your mama is! And even if I did
you and me both know she’d skin me alive if I went
after her. She wants me to take care of you." Vin ended this soothingly and softly hoping to get
through to the little girl.
This was now
a full-blown tantrum and could be defined as nothing else. "But I want my
mama!"
"She’s
not here," Vin soothed.
"But I
want her, she is in trouble, I want her!"
"How do
you know she’s in trouble?"
"Because,"
Star fairly screamed, "I saw it in a dream, she was running and there were
men with guns chasing her and she was sad and cold and wet and wanted not to be
there but there was no one to help her and she did not know what to do. My mama never does not know what to do. But she did not, and
my mama is never scared neither, but she was," Star was now in complete
hysterics, while rocking back and forth and talking more and more quietly while
crying more and more.
Vin scootched
closer to her and pulled her into a tight hug kissing her forehead gently and
soothing her. "It’s all gonna be okay, Darlin’. Now listen," He took Star by the shoulders
and looked her straight in the eyes hoping his words would sink in, "You and me both know your mama. And we both no that no
matter what trouble there is, if anybody can get outa
whatever trouble there is, it’s you mama. Ain’t I
right?"
"Yes,"
Star said, trying to gain some control of her tears, despite herself, his words
made her feel better.
~*~
"Where
is that Indian bitch?" Kaiyana heard on of the
men question.
"I dunno, Hank, but I didn’t see the little brat with
her," An ugly oaf of a man commented, both he and his compatriot unaware
that their prey was only a few feet away in the brush. "Maybe the little
brat is ‘round here somewhere, maybe iffin’ we git the little shit…"
"Oh, if
we could git that little bastard, the whore would
surely come to save her," Hank said. At his stupid, ignorant, and cruel
words Kaiyana felt her anger well up within her.
Further, the man, if one could really call him that, had threatened her baby.
She may have no longer cared what people did to her or called her, she may no
longer be as prideful and stubborn, these monsters may have been able to beat
her spirit, almost into submission, but no one messes with her baby. The
fighter within her surfaced and she was only slightly aware, through her anger,
of the plans her mind was making. She was calculating ways to take the men out
and trying to figure out where the rest of the men were,
she knew there were more then two. She found herself realizing that it had been
a long time since her mind had been so keen. Since, she’d been filled with such
adrenaline, and such life. Then again, no one had ever so directly threatened
her very soul, her little girl. That was just one line that she would never
allow anyone to cross. The more she thought about it the more she decided that
she had to get back to her little girl and Vin. That name remained sweet in her mind. After all
this time she still loved him as much, if not more, then she ever had. Her mind
dwelled on these thoughts, on these few things that could still bring her
happiness…that is until Hank decided to speak once more.
"Come
on, the longer we set here the further the bitch’ll git."
"Nah,
hold up, that little brat must be ‘round here somewhere…"
"Yeah, I
betcha yer right,"
Hank commented a sudden sadistic glimmer in his eyes.
Kaiyana saw his eyes. She saw that look. That monster wanted to
hurt her little girl, her precious angel! Well, she simply wouldn’t have it.
She felt a swell of rage the likes of which she had never experienced before
and likely would never feel again. Without anymore thought on the subject Kaiyana sprinted, literally, into action. She moved quickly
and to her soon to be victims, she moved with absolute and utter silence.
Kaiyana reached them within moments. Her first move was to couple
her hands and in hammer-like motion hit Hank square in the back of the neck,
sending his head jarring, and knocking him from the world of conscious thought
almost immediately.
The situation
had unfolded so quickly that Hank was never aware of what was happening,
because by the time he was remotely aware of Kaiyana’s
presence, he was knocked unconscious. While his companion had little more time
then that. In the time it took for the man to square himself to Kaiyana’s shoulders she quickly brought around her left leg
high, hitting him squarely on the side of the head, in one smooth and graceful
movement. As his, limp, unconscious body hit the ground Kaiyana
could only think of one thing; Nobody messed with her
baby. With that she stripped the two men down to their birthday suits and tied
them to a nearby oak. Then took their clothes to a swamp and dumped them in.
They wouldn’t be going anywhere soon, and that suited Kaiyana
just fine, she thought as she removed most of the heavy equipment from their horses backs and jumped on the healthier looking of the two,
guiding the other with a lead-line. She sat still for a moment contemplating
what to do next, before calculating the dangerous direction of
Well,
that’s it for now. Let me know what you think so far. Please review at jesfrealo@yahoo.com